Tails of Romance
by kcb500
Summary: A collection of one-shot romance stories. Tales with happiy-ever-after but also heartbreakingly devastating endings. Feel free to leave a suggestion for a future pairing!
1. Firestar and Cinderpelt

**Firestar and Cinderpelt**

Firestar paced anxiously in front of the Moon Pool. _Where is Jayfeather? _He thought impatiently. _He sends a message to me telling me that StarClan needed to speak with me urgently and that he would be there shortly and yet it seems as if I've been waiting here forever._

The sound of another cat approaching interrupted Firestar's thoughts. He turned to see Jayfeather padded next to him to greet him. "Hello, Firestar." He mewed politely.

Firestar's fur bristled and he had to restrain himself from snapping back at his medicine cat. "What took you so long to get here? I thought StarClan had an urgent message for me."

Jayfeather shrugged sheepishly. "I'm here now, right?"

"I suppose so." Firestar grumbled.

Jayfeather cleared his throat. "Anyway, you may as well get started. I'll be back in a little while to check up on you."

"You aren't going to share dreams with StarClan as well?" Firestar asked suspiciously.

Jayfeather shook his head. "No, this message is for you alone. It's more of a…." He grasped for the proper words. "It's more of a personal message."

Firestar felt anger starting to buildup in his chest. "I thought you said it was an important message from StarClan."

Jayfeather just smiled. "I think you will find this message most important."

…

Firestar blinked open his eyes and took in his surroundings. He was standing in the middle of Fourtrees. On the other side of the clearing another cat sat. Firestar squinted and tried to make out its features. It was a small dark grey she-cat. The she-cat's enormous blue eyes were gazing into his own. The feature that amazed him the most was the lack of an awkwardly twisted leg. "Cinderpelt." He breathed.

Cinderpelt's eyes were warm and friendly and she beckoned for Firestar to come over to her. When he sat down next to her she greeted him. "Hello Firestar. It's been a long time."

Firestar purred, "It's so good to see you again Cinderpelt. Jayfeather tells me that you have a message for me."

Cinderpelt nodded. "I would have given it to you a long time ago but I'm not always available in StarClan."

Firestar gave her a puzzled look.

"I still exist in a way." Cinderpelt explained. "Right after I died StarClan honored me with the chance to live the life of a warrior that I never could because of my injury."

"What? You're telling me that you are a warrior in ThunderClan right now? I'm sorry to break it to you Cinderpelt but you're kind of…dead."

"I was going to explain before you interrupted me, you impatient furball." She teased lightly. "I don't live on myself; rather I live on as another cat."

Firestar stared at her blankly.

Cinderpelt sighed. "I was reincarnated."

Firestar blinked in surprise. "You're one of my warriors? Which one?"

"I'll let you figure that out for yourself." Cinderpelt mewed. "But if you can't you must have mousedung for brains."

Firestar thought he knew who she was talking about but instead he changed the subject. "That aside, you said you have a message for me. What was it?"

Cinderpelt nodded. "I needed to tell something about me. A side of me that you never knew."

Firestar's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that?" He asked cautiously.

Cinderpelt rolled her eyes. "It's not anything bad." She snapped.

"Okay." Firestar mewed. "Tell me about this 'other side of you'."

"I will, but promise not to interrupt me until I'm finished." Cinderpelt mewed.

"I promise."

…

"When it was announced that you were going to be my mentor, my heart was racing faster than it ever has before. That was because I had a secret that only my brother knew. I had a crush on you. Throughout my whole time being your apprentice, I always worked as hard as I possibly could. After the accident, I changed a lot. My feelings for you evolved until they were more than a simple crush. I was in love with you. My only problem was I was now training to be a medicine cat, and medicine cats cannot have kits so I knew that I couldn't declare my feelings for you. At the same time though, I wanted you to know so I tried dropping hints, but you never got them. Typical toms I suppose." Cinderpelt rolled her eyes. "After I died, I realized that one of my greatest regrets was not telling you how I felt. I finally have the chance to tell you now."

Firestar stared down at his paws. "Cinderpelt, I don't know what to say."

Cinderpelt nodded but her eyes were clouded with sadness. "I understand. If only I had told you sooner, maybe things would have been different…" Her voice trailed off.

Thousands of thoughts running around in Firestar's head made him feel nauseated. "My StarClan." He muttered.

Cinderpelt gave him a sympathetic glance. "I know it wasn't fair to do this to you, but I just had to let you know. Until we next meet, Firestar, goodbye."

…

Firestar picked uninterestedly at the squirrel lying before him. Ever since his meeting with Cinderpelt, Firestar hadn't had much of an appetite. _Why? _He thought. _Is it because you have the same feelings for her, or because you don't?_

"Are you alright, Firestar?" Sandstorm mewed next to him.

Firestar nodded to her but said nothing. He didn't like lying to his mate but he couldn't tell her about Cinderpelt had said to him. It would only fill her with envy. "I do need to speak with Cinderheart in my den though, could you fetch her for me?"

Sandstorm dipped her head. "Of course, I'll send her to see you immediately."

…

"Um, Firestar? You wanted to see me?" Cinderheart's nervous mew reached Firestar's ears and he looked up at her. _If you can't figure it out you must have mousedung for brains. _Cinderpelt's words repeated themselves in Firestar's head. Surely this was who Cinderpelt was talking about.

Firestar didn't respond immediately. He took in every aspect of Cinderheart, and he had to admit that she strikingly resembled Cinderheart.

"Firestar?" Cinderheart repeated.

Firestar had a faraway look in his eyes. "Tell her I'm sorry. Sorry for everything." He murmured aloud to no cat in particular.

Cinderheart looked at him, bewildered. "Tell who you're sorry?"

Firestar shook his head to clear it. "Never mind… Just make sure that you are very careful. Try to stay out of harm's way."

Cinderheart nodded but she was only more confused. "Alright then… is that all you had to tell me?"

Firestar nodded absently. "Uh, yes."

Cinderheart dipped her head. "I'll be going then, and don't worry about me; I can take care of myself." She turned and padded out of his den.

There was a brief moment of silence and then Firestar whispered after her, "I love you too, Cinderpelt."

**I hope you enjoyed it. :3 If you want me to do any pairing in particular make sure you leave me a review telling me!**


	2. Crowfeather and Leafpool

**In response to your reviews:**

**WarriorCat99: Thanks! I'd have to say that Cinderpelt is one of my favorite characters as well and that that FirexCinder is without a doubt the best warriors pairing ever. Thanks for all of your suggestions for pairings; I'll get them done as soon as I can! **

**This Reckless Joy Ride: JayxCinder is another one of my favorite pairings. I'll have that story up after this one!**

**Dawnfrost10: FirexSpotted, eh? I've never really liked that couple, I'm not quite sure why… And BreezexHeather? Definitely my most hated couple. It seems like we are complete opposites. :P I'll get to work on them soon nonetheless.**

**GumiBeargal-JayfeatherFan: Ooh, Leafpool Stormfur? Completely random… I love it!**

**newlife of thunderclan: Good idea! I think they would have made a great couple. **

**Crowfeather and Leafpool**

Leafpool stared longingly over the WindClan border. She hadn't been able to get much sleep the past few nights. _I wish I could speak with him. It's been so long… _But Leafpool knew that this would be impossible. The cat she loved was a WindClan warrior, and he had all but forgotten about her. "Oh Crowfeather." She murmured

"Leafpool, what are you doing out here?" A suspicious voice asked from behind her.

Leafpool spun around. "Jayfeather! Uh, I was…" She tried to think of some excuse to be sitting at the border but nothing came to mind. "Nothing." She said lamely.

Jayfeather rolled his eyes. "You're waiting for him aren't you? Crowfeather."

"So what if I am?" Leafpool mewed defensively. "I'm allowed to have friends in other clans."

Jayfeather mewed in an annoyed tone,. "Crowfeather isn't just a friend to you."

Leafpool didn't reply.

"Why do you even care about seeing him? He certainly doesn't care about you!" Jayfeather snapped.

Leafpool's eyes flared. "He does not!" She returned. "He just wants to prove his loyalty to his clan."

"Maybe you should try that." Jayfeather mewed.

Leafpool ignored his comment and turned around to stare back out over WindClan territory.

Jayfeather let out an audible sigh. "I'm not trying to be mean Leafpool, Crowfeather's moved on. It's time for you to as well."

…

As the sun started to set and the moon started to rise, Leafpool still sat on the edge of the border. _What am I doing here?_ She thought suddenly. _Jayfeather was right. I'm a fool to think otherwise. _She felt her fur grow hot with embarresement. _Why can't I just get over him?_

"What are you doing here?" The sudden question made Leafpool jump.

She turned angrily to whomever it was that had spoken but she stopped when she saw who it was. _Crowfeather! _She turned dumbly at him for a moment.

"Well?" Crowfeather growled. "I asked you a question."

Leafpool was taken aback by his hostility. "I-I came here to talk with you." She stammered.

"Why would you want to talk to me?" Crowfeather asked suspiciously.

Leafpool pawed at the ground nervously. "It's just been a long time since we've talked, I guess."

Crowfeather's eyes narrowed. "Why do you want to talk to me?" He repeated.

Leafpool sighed. "I can't get you out of my head, Crowfeather. These past few nights I haven't been able to sleep at all. I thought maybe if I talked with you it might help…" Her voice trailed off.

"Why would you want to talk with me?" Crowfeather mewed. "We're from different Clans."

Leafpool's fur bristled. "Don't pretend like there was never anything between us!" She snapped.

"You chose your Clan over me, now I've made the same decision." Crowfeather mewed levelly.

Leafpool felt like bursting into tears but she held them back. "How can you say this to me? You're treating me as if I'm your enemy!"

"You are my enemy." He mewed coldly.

Leafpool started to shrink back. "You aren't the cat you once were. What happened to you, Crowfeather?"

Crowfeather's eyes darkened. "I became loyal to my Clan."

The tears flowed freely now down Leafpool's cheek. She turned around and took off in the direction of her camp.

…

As Crowfeather watched Leafpool run way in tears, he felt mixed emotions boiling up within himself. He forced them down so he wouldn't have to deal with them. _Why do you care anyway? She's a ThunderClan cat. _He thought in disgust. _Besides, what happened to us was in the past._

_You know that's not true, Crowfeather._

Crowfeather jerked his head around, half expecting to see Leafpool, but there was no cat around. "Where are you?" He asked.

_That doesn't matter. All that matters is that you're honest with yourself about Leafpool._

"I have no feelings for Leafpool!" Crowfeather snapped. "What happened between us happened a long time ago, I made a foolish mistake."

_You have no feelings for the cat that bore your kits?_

"My son is Breezepelt." Crowfeather growled.

_There's no point denying the truth Crowfeather, it doesn't change anything._

"This is ridiculous! I'm leaving." Crowfeather mewed.

_You can't run from the truth either._

"I'm not running from anything." Crowfeather retorted.

_Leafpool stills loves you Crowfeather and you still love her._

"The day hedgehogs fly!" He nearly yowled. Once again the emotions surfaced and once again he pushed them back down. _I do not love her. She is nothing to me._

**Upcoming Chapters:**

**Jayfeather and Cinderpelt (This Reckless Joy Ride)**

**Firepaw and Spottedleaf (Dawnfrost10)**

**Leafpool and Stormfur (GumiBearGal-JayfeatherFan**)

**Thrushpelt and Bluefur (newlife of thunderclan)**

**Lionblaze and Cinderheart (Warriorcat99)**

**Breezepelt and Heathertail (Dawnfrost10)**

**Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw (Warriorcat99)**


	3. Jayfeather and Cinderheart

**In response to your reviews:**

**Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal: Great ideas! I'll get on to them soon**

**Dawnfrost10: SilverxGray are a really good couple. I'll add them to the list.**

**hawkfeather: Thank you for the positive feedback! I'm glad that you enjoy my stories. **

**Wilder123: Interesting choice and I hope you enjoy the rest of my one shots as well!**

**Jayfeather and Cinderheart**

"Fox dung!" Jayfeather cursed as he stumbled and dropped the herbs he was carrying in his mouth. _Thank StarClan I'm blind! _He thought sarcastically.

"Here, let me help you with those, Jayfeather." A familiar voice mewed.

"I appreciate the offer, Cinderheart but I don't need any help. Just because I'm blind doesn't mean that I can't handle myself." Jayfeather grumbled.

Cinderheart blinked. "That's not why I offered to help you. You shouldn't be so defensive. "

Jayfeather shrugged. "Either way I don't need help. All you're doing is wasting my time."

Cinderheart frowned. "Are you alright, Jayfeather?" She asked.

Jayfeather could sense the concern in her voice. _I'm not some whimpering kit; I'm your medicine cat! _"Yes, everything's wonderful." Jayfeather mewed through gritted teeth.

"Would you like to talk?" Cinderheart asked anxiously.

The question caught Jayfeather off guard. "Talk?" He repeated.

Cinderheart nodded. "Yes, talk."

Jayfeather let out an exasperated sigh. "Will you leave me alone if I have a "talk" with you?"

"Sure." Cinderheart replied.

Jayfeather narrowed his eyes. "Fine, let's talk."

…

"Being blind isn't really that bad." Jayfeather confessed. "StarClan grant me sight in my dreams so I'm not blind all the time."

Cinderheart's eyes widened. "Wow, that's amazing!"

Jayfeather nodded. "I'm sorry about the way I acted earlier. I was acting like a total mouse brain."

Cinderheart flicked him with her tail affectionately. "I know." She mewed. "You don't need to apologize though. You must have a lot on your mind; being the medicine cat and all and being blind can't help, so I can understand if you snap at me sometimes."

Jayfeather's eyes widened. "Wow. I never expected you to understand. Most people just get mad back at me."

Cinderheart chuckled. "I guess I just get that you're different than the rest of us; I mean that in a good way."

"Different is good?" Jayfeather inquired.

"Yes it is." Cinderheart replied. "Sometimes, I feel different myself. It's hard to explain." She shook her head. "

_If only I could tell her! _Jayfeather thought. But it wasn't his place to tell the she-cat that she was the reincarnation, if StarClan wanted her to know they would reveal it to her. "You don't seem odder than any of our other Clanmates." He observed.

"Very funny, Jayfeather." Cinderheart mewed crossly, but Jayfeather could hear a note of amusement in her tone. "Seriously, though," she continued. "I just don't seem to fit in sometimes."

"That's nonsense!" Jayfeather rejected. "You're an amazing cat Cinderheart. Don't ever think like that."

Cinderheart's eyes lit up. "Do you mean that, Jayfeather? Honestly?"

Jayfeather nodded. "Of course I do."

The two cats sat in awkward silence until Cinderheart stood up abruptly. "I just remembered that I'm supposed to be somewhere. I need to go."

Jayfeather watched the gray she-cat leave. An odd emotion tugged at his heart. What was it? Jayfeather to push it aside, it didn't feel right and he didn't want to deal with it.

…

Jayfeather tossed and turned in his den. Once again he couldn't seem to fall asleep, for some reason. It had been three days since he'd talked with Cinderheart and ever since then he hadn't been able to get much sleep. _I feel like I'm getting sick. _

He shook his head to clear it. "What's wrong with me?" He wondered aloud. Then a thought came to him, _Cinderheart. _A sudden rush of emotions swept over Jayfeather like a tidal wave, threatening to drown him. He tried to make sense of them, but he simply couldn't. "Great StarClan." He muttered.

Jayfeather started to make sense of some of the emotions. _No! This can't be happening! _He thought sickly. _I'm a medicine cat, I can't take a mate… _But Jayfeather knew there was no point denying it.

He was in love with Cinderheart.

**Upcoming Chapters:**

**Jayfeather and Cinderheart (This Reckless Joy Ride 1st)**

**Firepaw and Spottedleaf (Dawnfrost10 1st)**

**Leafpool and Stormfur (GumiBearGal-JayfeatherFan 1st**)

**Thrushpelt and Bluefur (newlife of thunderclan 1st)**

**Crowfeather and Feathertail (hawkfeather 1st)**

**Squirrelflight and Ashfur (Wildfur123 1st)**

**Lionblaze and Cinderheart (Warriorcat99 2nd)**

**Breezepelt and Heathertail (Dawnfrost10 2nd)**

**Jayfeather and Icecloud (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 2nd)**

**Graystripe and Silverstream (Dawnfrost10 2nd)**

**Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight (Warriorcat99 3rd)**

**Berrynose and Heathertail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 3rd)**

**Breezepelt and Hazeltail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 4th) **

**Foxleap and Dawnpelt (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 5th)**

**Tigerheart and Hollyleaf (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 6th)**

**Firestar and Frostfur (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 7th)**


	4. Firepaw and Spottedleaf

**In response to your reviews:**

**Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal: Of course it won't!**

**Shinginstarwhiteback: I'm going to have a really tough time writing that one. They seem like brother and sister to me. I'll still try though!**

**3: Interesting choices…**

**Warriorcat99: Thanks! And yes they seem like brother and sister to me as well. :/**

**SOUTHERNERS RULEZ: Interesting. I'd never thought of them before…**

**The Great Mikey Weston: I'm not really sure where I stand on the whole Jay x Cinder thing. And yes, I agree Jayfeather and Half Moon are **_**perfect. **_**My only problem with them is that I haven't read the book where Half Moon was mentioned in a long time and I haven't been reader some of the newer book. So some of the details are a little foggy; I guess your request gives me an excuse to go reread that book! As far as Mousefur x Longtail goes… I have no idea. Personally, I can't view them as a couple at **_**all. **_**I guess that's just going to be an interesting challenge! Don't think that my being swamped with requests is a bad thing for me, on the contrary it tells me that people are interested in my story and it gives me something to write about, so if you have any other pairings you want don't hesitate to ask! Ivypool and Hawkfrost seems like a fun pairing to write about, very realistic. I'm going to have a lot of fun with that one! Thanks for saying that I rock and that my stories are cute. In each one I try to spin the story a certain way so that each one is filled with fluff. How I'm at the moment mainly affects that. As far as my pairings go so far I only like Fire x Cinder. Crow and Leaf annoys me and I'm not sure what I think about Jay and Cinder. Thanks for saying I'm awesome but the reviewers are the truly awesome ones! :)**

**Dawnfrost10: Sure! Adding it to the list.**

**Sorry this update took so long guys! I just really hate Fire x Spotted (Sorry to Dawnfrost10). So I procrastinated until I couldn't bear not writing another chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it!**

**Firepaw and Spottedleaf**

_She's dead, Spottedleaf is dead…_

The word's repeated themselves over and over again in Firepaw's head and yet he still couldn't seem to comprehend them.

A full day had passed since the ThunderClan medicine cat had been murdered, but to Firepaw it felt like an eternity. He found himself wandering into the medicine cats den hoping to see Spottedleaf, until he remembered…

"Firepaw, what are you doing?" growled a familiar voice.

Firepaw blinked. "I'm sorry Darkstripe, I was just zoning out."

"You've been like this ever since Spottedleaf died." Darkstripe snorted. "Instead of moping around mourning you should go do something productive."

"I loved her." Firepaw murmured.

Darkstripe's eyes widened in disbelief, "What?" He exclaimed. "She was a medicine cat! Does the Warrior Code mean nothing to you?" He spat.

Firepaw lashed his tail in irritation. "Of course it does." He retorted. "I couldn't help falling for her."

"I guess I can't expect a kittypet to understand these sorts of things." Darkstripe sniffed.

Firepaw unsheathed his claws and he bared his teeth at Darkstripe before turning around to run through the camp entrance. He ignored a call from Graypaw and raced into the forest.

…

Firepaw lifted his head to stare at Silverpelt. Was it really true that Spottedleaf was up there watching him? _Why did you have to take her from me, StarClan? _He thought miserably. Out loud he growled, "So much for watching us and taking care of us." Anger started to build up in his chest until Firepaw felt as if he was going to explode. His voice rose to a yowl. "_How could you do this!" _

There was no answer from StarClan except for the twinkling of the stars up ahead. Firepaw rolled his eyes. Maybe StarClan didn't even exist. He nestled down in some tall grass and closed his eyes.

…

Firepaw opened his eyes and stared in amazement. "Wow," he breathed. He was standing in a clearing overlooking Fourtrees.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Firepaw." A voice rumbled behind him.

Firepaw whirled around to face a large tom that was colored like autumn leaves. He had broad shoulders, amber eyes and his paws were all white. Stars gleamed brightly in his fur. "W-who are you?" Firepaw asked shakily.

The tom dipped his head to Firepaw. "I am Thunder."

Firepaw's eyes widened. "Thunder like ThunderClan?" He asked in awe.

Thunder nodded. "Yes, I was the founder of ThunderClan."

Firepaw couldn't believe what he was seeing. "And you're in StarClan now?"

"Yes." Thunder replied. "I have brought you here to speak with you about Spottedleaf."

Firepaw tensed. Was Thunder mad at him for loving the ThunderClan medicine cat? "I didn't mean-" He began.

Thunder cut him off, sensing what he was thinking. "I'm not here to punish you for loving her." He mewed.

Firepaw relaxed a little. "Then why are you here?" He ventured.

"I've come to tell you that you must move on." Thunder mewed.

Firepaw's tail drooped. "Are you saying I can't love her?" he whispered.

Thunder shook his head. "Not necessarily." He meowed. "But you mustn't close your eyes to the cats surrounding you."

Firepaw's eyes narrowed. Who was Thunder talking about? What other she-cats in ThunderClan could he love?

Thunder touched his nose to Firepaw's. "You have great things destined for you." He promised. "You must learn to live in the present and forget the things of the past."

Firepaw tipped his head to the side, puzzled.

Thunder waved his tail to Firepaw in farewell.

…

Firepaw blinked his eyes open slowly. He stood up groggily. He looked up at the sky and saw the last remnants of Silverpelt vanishing as the sun slowly started to rise. Thunder's words came to him once again, _'You must learn to live in the present and forget the things of the past.' _He shook his head to clear it. Whatever the ThunderClan leader told him, Firepaw just couldn't see himself ever giving up on Spottedleaf. _I will love you to the end of time, Spottedleaf. _He promised inwardly.

**Sorry about the shortness! It just felt like an appropriate place to end it.**

**Upcoming Chapters:**

**Leafpool and Stormfur (GumiBearGal-JayfeatherFan 1st**)

**Thrushpelt and Bluefur (newlife of thunderclan 1st)**

**Crowfeather and Feathertail (hawkfeather 1st)**

**Squirrelflight and Ashfur (Wildfur123 1st)**

**Lionblaze and Dovewing (Shiningstarwhiteback 1st)**

**Blackstar and Leopardstar (3 1st) **

**Ashfur and Tawnypelt (SOUTHERNERS RULEZ 1st)**

**Jayfeather and Half Moon (The Great Mikey Weston 1st)**

**Lionblaze and Cinderheart (Warriorcat99 2nd)**

**Breezepelt and Heathertail (Dawnfrost10 2nd)**

**Jayfeather and Icecloud (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 2nd)**

**Graystripe and Silverstream (Dawnfrost10 2nd)**

**Ashfur and Bluestar (3 2nd)**

**Longtail and Mousefur (The Great Mikey Weston 2nd) **

**Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight (Warriorcat99 3rd)**

**Berrynose and Heathertail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 3rd)**

**Hawkfrost and Ivypool (The Great Mikey Weston 3rd) **

**Tigerheart and Dovewing (Dawnfrost10 3rd)**

**Breezepelt and Hazeltail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 4th) **

**Foxleap and Dawnpelt (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 5th)**

**Tigerheart and Hollyleaf (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 6th)**

**Firestar and Frostfur (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 7th)**

**Ferncloud and Cloudtail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 8th)**


	5. Stormfur and Leafpool

**In response to your reviews:**

**Feather-TheNightMarePrincess: Good idea, I would never imagine those two together in any circumstance so that's going to be an interesting one to write!**

**The Great Mikey Weston: I kept trying to think of ways to write the Fire x Spotted one, but I couldn't think of any that would have them both alive so I just decided to make her dead. I plan to read about Half Moon on the Warriors Wiki so I should have a pretty decent knowledge of her. Brightheart and Cloudtail is a good couple, but in my opinion they're **_**too **_**good of a couple. I'll try to throw some interesting twists into that one. As for Jayfeather x Briarlight I find that interesting. I can't remember much about her right now so I'll have to read up on her as well. Thanks for your support!**

**Newlife of thunderclan: Thanks and sure!**

**: Interesting name….Interesting couples as well!**

**Dawnfrost10: I think Sandstorm and Firestar are iffy. I don't really see any cat that he should've been a mate with.**

**Stormfur and Leafpool**

Leafpool pawed at the leaf before her, checking to see if it was of any use to her. She sighed when she realized it that it was the wrong herb entirely. She started off into the trees around her but stopped abruptly when she heard a strange noise. She strained her ears to listen more carefully. _It kind of sounds like a cat shrieking, _she decided, her fur beginning to bristle. The noise came again, except this time louder and from more cats. Leafpool's heart froze when she realized it was coming from the direction of her camp. She gave up all intentions of gathering herbs and pelted in the direction of the camp, praying to StarClan for protection.

…

The sight that greeted Leafpool when she entered the camp was unlike any that she had ever experienced before. The entire camp was full of ThunderClan warriors and badgers brawling. She had never seen so many badgers in her life! She frantically scanned the clearing, looking for a sign of her mentor. When she couldn't spot her, she wondered if Sorreltail's kits were arriving. Leafpool headed towards the nursery, racing past hostile badgers that occasionally would hiss, or take swipes at her. Luckily she reached the nursery untouched. As she shouldered her way into the den, she recognized Cinderpelt's soothing voice.

"You're doing great Sorreltail, you and your kits are going to be fine."

Leafpool padded up behind her mentor. "What's going on?" She demanded.

"Badgers are attacking the camp right now." Cinderpelt replied bluntly without turning to look at Leafpool. "I would explain a bit more but I'm kind of busy."

Leafpool turned to look at the entrance. "Are we safe in here?"

Cinderpelt nodded. "Brackenfur is guarding the entrance."

A heartbeat later Leafpool heard Brackenfur grunt and then yowl loudly, "Look out!"

Leafpool froze in horror as a young badger crashed into the nursery. Fear rippled down her spine when she locked eyes with the fearsome creature.

At once, the badger charged at Leafpool and knocked her off her feet. Leafpool struggled to get up only for the badger knock her down again. When Leafpool looked up again, the badger was looming over her, claws raised to deal the final blow. Leafpool closed her eyes and begged StarClan to take her quickly. But for a second, nothing happened. She hesitantly opened her eyes and with gasped in shock, "Stormfur!"

The dark gray tom was battling viciously with the badger. He raked his claws repeatedly across the badgers muzzle and it let out a mighty roar and stumbled away.

Leafpool stared at Stormfur, her eyes wide. "W-why are you here?" She stammered.

"I was delivering a message from Mothwing." Stormfur panted. "When I came into the camp and saw all the badgers fighting I knew something was wrong. I saw a badger break into here and it was being guarded by Brackenfur so I assumed there was something worth guarding in here."

Leafpool nodded. "I can't thank you enough. You saved my life."

Stormfur shrugged, "Any cat would have done the same." He said simply and turned to exit the den and reenter the battle.

…

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the High Rock for a Clan meeting." Firestar's rasping voice was barely audible to Leafpool. She staggered out of the nursery and found a spot next to Brackenfur whose shoulder was covered in claw marks. "Thank you for protecting us while we were in there." She whispered to him.

Brackenfur blinked. "I failed. If it weren't for Stormfur, you all might've died."

Leafpool licked him affectionately. "We would have died if you hadn't protected us before Stormfur arrived." She pointed out.

Brackenfur didn't look convinced, instead he turned back to face Firestar to hear what the Clan leader was going to say.

Firestar didn't look much better than Brackenfur, Leafpool realized. He too was covered in scratches and he panted heavily. "We have driven all of the badgers from our camp." He announced. "I am sad to report that Sootfur died while protecting his Clan."

A few cries of dismay rang out through the clan. Leafpool's head drooped, Sootfur was a fairly young and respected member of ThunderClan, he would be missed greatly.

"There was one more casualty." Firestar continued. "A cat from one of our rival Clans died today defending us. He will truly be honored by StarClan as a noble warrior."

Leafpool's jaw dropped, could he possibly mean?

"Stormfur resides in StarClan now."

…

Leafpool paced back and forth in her den. For the past few days she hadn't been able to get any sleep at all and the reason for this lack of sleep puzzled her. _Stormfur. _The name penetrated her skull and repeated itself. Leafpool squeezed her eyes shut tight. _Why should I care, I know he saved me and all but he was from a different Clan! _Could it be possible that she had feeling s for him? Leafpool shook her head to clear it. _You didn't have any feelings for him, _she scolded herself, _your just feeling a little guilty. Stormfur was just some cat. _She repeated the words to herself once again , but she couldn't stop thinking about him. His broad shoulders, sleek gray fur and amber eyes that seemed to penetrate into her very soul… "Stop it!" She shrieked out loud. _You don't care about him! _But deep down she knew that couldn't be any further from the truth.

** I realize that Stormfur wasn't in RiverClan during Twilight. In this one shot he was though.**

**Upcoming Chapters:**

**Thrushpelt and Bluefur (newlife of thunderclan 1st)**

**Crowfeather and Feathertail (hawkfeather 1st)**

**Squirrelflight and Ashfur (Wildfur123 1st)**

**Lionblaze and Dovewing (Shiningstarwhiteback 1st)**

**Blackstar and Leopardstar (3 1st) **

**Ashfur and Tawnypelt (SOUTHERNERS RULEZ 1st)**

**Jayfeather and Half Moon (The Great Mikey Weston 1st)**

**Hawkfrost and Feathertail (****Feather-TheNightMarePrincess 1st)**

**Tigerstar and Spottedleaf ( 1st)**

**Lionblaze and Cinderheart (Warriorcat99 2nd)**

**Breezepelt and Heathertail (Dawnfrost10 2nd)**

**Jayfeather and Icecloud (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 2nd)**

**Graystripe and Silverstream (Dawnfrost10 2nd)**

**Ashfur and Bluestar (3 2nd)**

**Longtail and Mousefur (The Great Mikey Weston 2nd) **

**Rowanclaw and Tawnypelt (Newlife of thunderclan 2nd)**

**Ashfur and Hollyleaf ( 2nd)**

**Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight (Warriorcat99 3rd)**

**Berrynose and Heathertail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 3rd)**

**Hawkfrost and Ivypool (The Great Mikey Weston 3rd) **

**Tigerheart and Dovewing (Dawnfrost10 3rd)**

**Breezepelt and Hazeltail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 4th) **

**Cloudtail and Brightheart (The Great Mikey Weston 4th)**

**Foxleap and Dawnpelt (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 5th)**

**Jayfeather and Briarlight (The Great Mikey Weston 5th)**

**Tigerheart and Hollyleaf (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 6th)**

**Firestar and Frostfur (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 7th)**

**Ferncloud and Cloudtail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 8th)**


	6. Thrushpelt and Bluefur

**In response to your reviews:**

**XJaguarX: Yeah I had a plan set out for this chapter and it didn't really turn out the way I was thinking it would. Oh well :/**

**Thrushpelt and Bluefur**

Pain. Thrushpelt had never imagined that it could be possible for a cat to experience as much pain as he was now. He remembered once again the source of his pain; Bluefur.

The beautiful she-cat was expecting kits and didn't want anyone to know who the father was so Thrushpelt offered to pretend to be the father. Looking back on it, Thrushpelt felt a twinge of regret for making the decision. It wasn't that he didn't want to help Bluefur, but his own feelings for Bluefur combined with the fact that he was pretending to be the father of some other tom's kits was creating some very serious inner turmoil for him.

_Why can't she just love me back? _He wondered despairingly for the millionth time.

Next to him, Thrushpelt could hear the river roaring. He padded up onto the bank, away from the safe cover of the trees and peered out over RiverClan territory. He jumped in surprise when he saw a pair of amber eyes staring back at him. "Hello?" Thrushpelt called uncertainly.

The cat pushed itself forward out of the reeds and revealed itself. Thrushpelt recognized Oakheart, one of the RiverClan warriors. Oakheart peered behind Thrushpelt, looking for some cat. His tail drooped when he didn't spot whoever it was that he was looking for. "How is Bluefur doing?" He asked suddenly and unexpactantly.

Thrushpelt was immediately suspicious. He narrowed his eyes, what could this RiverClan warrior possibly want with Bluefur? "She's doing fine," he responded carefully. "Why do care?"

Oakheart ducked his head embarrassedly and Thrushpelt's suspicions increased. "There's nothing wrong with having friends in other Clans." The reddish brown tom muttered lamely. Before Thrushpelt could respond he disappeared back into RiverClan territory.

As Thrushpelt watched the warrior he tried to think what the Oakheart could possibly want with Bluefur. He shivered as a chilling thought came to his mind, _what if he's the father of Bluefur's kits?_ Thrushpelt immediately pushed the thought away, refusing to accept that Bluefur would betray her Clan like that, but the nagging suspicion remained. _If Oakheart was the father that would explain why Bluefur wanted to keep his identity a secret, _he realized eerily. Thrushpelt shook his head to clear it. He needed to know the truth.

…

"Bluefur!" Thrushpelt hissed, concealed from sight by a bush.

Bluefur pricked her ears and turned to the cat walking beside her. "I think I might have heard something over there," she flicked her ears in Thruspelt's direction. "Don't wait up for me, I'll catch up with you in a minute."

The other cat nodded and continued forward.

Once he was a ways ahead Bluefur stepped into the bush next to Thrushpelt. "What is so important that you have to interrupt me in the middle of a patrol?" She hissed in irritation.

Thrushpelt flexed his claws. "I'm sorry Bluefur but there's something I need to know."

Bluefur frowned. "What?" She demanded.

Thrushpelt sighed, considering what he was about to say. "Is Oakheart the father?" He blurted out.

Bluefur's eyes widened in surprise. She pawed at the ground, "You said you wouldn't ask who the father was," she muttered. Before Thrushpelt had a chance to respond she continued, "Yes, Oakheart is the father."

…

Thrushpelt stood in the same spot near the river as he had the previous day. He looked out over the river, wondering if he would see Oakheart but there was no sign of the RiverClan tom. He shook his head sadly. How could Oakheart be the father? _What does he have that I don't? _A surge of anger rushed over Thrushpelt, to his surprise directed at Bluefur. How could she do this to him? Run off with some tom from another Clan and then dump the kits off on him? _What kind of friend would do that? _He wondered bitterly. _No friend of mine. Bluefur has only used me, she doesn't care about me. _

Thrushpelt nearly broke down at that thought. Bluefur, the only cat that had ever occupied his thoughts, his very sustenance had betrayed him. Thrushpelt's tail drooped sadly. He stumbled forward until he stood once again on the riverside. He looked over the river, mesmerized that something could be so beautiful and powerful at the same time. Suddenly he knew how he could all of his pain.

Thrushpelt hesitated for a brief second, and jumped.

**Upcoming stories:**

**Crowfeather and Feathertail (hawkfeather 1st)**

**Squirrelflight and Ashfur (Wildfur123 1st)**

**Lionblaze and Dovewing (Shiningstarwhiteback 1st)**

**Blackstar and Leopardstar (3 1st) **

**Ashfur and Tawnypelt (SOUTHERNERS RULEZ 1st)**

**Jayfeather and Half Moon (The Great Mikey Weston 1st)**

**Hawkfrost and Feathertail (****Feather-TheNightMarePrincess 1st)**

**Tigerstar and Spottedleaf ( 1st)**

**Lionblaze and Cinderheart (Warriorcat99 2nd)**

**Breezepelt and Heathertail (Dawnfrost10 2nd)**

**Jayfeather and Icecloud (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 2nd)**

**Graystripe and Silverstream (Dawnfrost10 2nd)**

**Ashfur and Bluestar (3 2nd)**

**Longtail and Mousefur (The Great Mikey Weston 2nd) **

**Rowanclaw and Tawnypelt (Newlife of thunderclan 2nd)**

**Ashfur and Hollyleaf ( 2nd)**

**Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight (Warriorcat99 3rd)**

**Berrynose and Heathertail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 3rd)**

**Hawkfrost and Ivypool (The Great Mikey Weston 3rd) **

**Tigerheart and Dovewing (Dawnfrost10 3rd)**

**Breezepelt and Hazeltail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 4th) **

**Cloudtail and Brightheart (The Great Mikey Weston 4th)**

**Foxleap and Dawnpelt (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 5th)**

**Jayfeather and Briarlight (The Great Mikey Weston 5th)**

**Tigerheart and Hollyleaf (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 6th)**

**Firestar and Frostfur (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 7th)**

**Ferncloud and Cloudtail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 8th)**


	7. Crowfeather and Feathertail

**In response to your reviews:**

**Chloe Ravenclaw Mapleblossom: I'll add all of them with the exception of Stonefur and Silverstream because they're cousins.**

**Click Clock: Thanks for the compliment! Added your couples to the list.**

**The Great Mikey Weston: Just goes to show that if Leafpool hadn't run off with Crowfeather the Clans would be screwed. (Not that I enjoy writing CrowxLeaf mind you) **

**ponyiowa: I kind of liked Thrushpelt but at the same time I must admit it was fun to write his suicide. :P Maybe it's because I could've imagined him doing it in the series.**

**WildCroconaw: Thanks for the compliment! Most people just leave a list of cats they want me to write about so I really appreciate all the positive comments I get!**

**I hope you guys enjoy this one; it should be interesting to say the least…**

**Crowfeather and Feathertail**

_Leafpool, I love you. _The words ricochet in Feathertail's head thunderously. She gasped for air, but she couldn't breathe. She collapsed on her side, the world spinning above her. "But you told me you'd love me forever." She whispered out loud to no one in particular.

"Feathertail? Are you alright?" A gruff voice mewed.

Feathertail struggled to her feet. "Yes, I'm fine. Thanks for asking Yellowfang."

The old gray medicine cat narrowed her eyes. "This is about Crowfeather isn't it?"

Feathertail sighed and nodded her head slightly. "He told me he'd love me forever, but he's already fallen in love again."

Yellowfang brushed against her sympathetically. "Tom cats." She rolled her eyes. "If you ask me you're better off without that stupid furball!"

Feathertail smiled feebly. "He can be a stupid furball sometimes." She shook her head. "But I just don't know what to do now."

"I know you don't want to hear this but there's not a lot that you can do," Yellowfang mewed.

Feathertail nodded. "I understand. I just wish I could talk to him one last time," she mewed longingly.

Yellowfang turned to leave. "Crowfeather has moved on. Maybe you should consider doing the same."

…

The next few days passed by slowly for Feathertail. She tried hard to move on, even moving to such extreme measures as to tell Leafpool that she is alright with her loving Crowfeather; which was not true at all, but she simply couldn't be rid herself of her feelings for the gray warrior. Her love for him was too strong. And now she had the issue of Crowfeather and Leafpool possibly running away with each other.

"What am I going to do?" Feathertail wondered aloud.

She pondered again all the possible ways she could break up the love between Crowfeather and Leafpool but none of them would really work. She thought again trying to think of things that had happened recently that she might manipulate to her help her situation. Only one thing came to mind and she wasn't sure how it could help her. She thought a little deeper and realized that it might be exactly what she needed. A plan connected in her head and she smiled with satisfaction. Crowfeather would be hers.

…

The broad badger turned around to face her cubs. "Quiet little ones we're almost there." She promised.

The cubs ignored her and continued crying.

The mother opened her mouth to respond but a strange scent reached her. _Cat! _She realized her pelt bristling. She turned to face a silver cat with stars entangled in her fur. The mother badger let out a ferocious roar and prepared to attack the cat, but to her surprise the cat didn't seem bothered at all.

"I come here in peace." The cat spoke in badger fluently.

The mother badger was so shocked that she didn't know how to respond. She blinked.

The silver cat continued. "My name is Feathertail, and I've come here today to tell you something very important."

The mother badger narrowed her eyes, suspicious of this badger-speaking cat. "What is it?" She growled.

Feathertail smiled. "I've come to tell you about a way that you can get your old home back."

The mother badger was more suspicious. "We can't have our old home back, you cats drove us away from it," she spat.

Feathertail nodded sympathetically. "The same has been happening to badgers everywhere near the lake, but there is something you can do to get your homes back. All of your homes back."

The mother badger rolled her eyes. "How?"

"You must unite," Feathertail proposed. "If you all group together and attack the cats as one you can overpower them and reclaim your homes."

The mother badger chuckled. "Who do you think could unite us?"

"You!" Feathertail insisted. "Find all of the badgers that you can and hold a meeting at the sun-drown place, you know where that is right?"

The mother badger nodded. "I've been there before."

"Good," Feathertail's heart was racing. "When you're there make sure that you tell Midnight about your plans."

The mother badger tipped her head to the side. "Why?"

"Just do it for me."

…

Feathertail lay in her nest, unable to fall asleep. The decision had been made; the plan had been set in motion. She could only pray that it would work. If this didn't work she would have to try something else. One thing was clear; she would not stop until Crowfeather was hers.

**Interesting, no? Leave me a review and tell me your opinion!**

**Upcoming stories:**

**Squirrelflight and Ashfur (Wildfur123 1st)**

**Lionblaze and Dovewing (Shiningstarwhiteback 1st)**

**Blackstar and Leopardstar (3 1st) **

**Ashfur and Tawnypelt (SOUTHERNERS RULEZ 1st)**

**Jayfeather and Half Moon (The Great Mikey Weston 1st)**

**Hawkfrost and Feathertail (****Feather-TheNightMarePrincess 1st)**

**Tigerstar and Spottedleaf ( 1st)**

**Lionblaze and Icecloud (Chloe Ravenclaw Mapleblossom 1st)**

**Raggedstar and Yellowfang (Click Clock 1st)**

**Lionblaze and Cinderheart (Warriorcat99 2nd)**

**Breezepelt and Heathertail (Dawnfrost10 2nd)**

**Jayfeather and Icecloud (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 2nd)**

**Graystripe and Silverstream (Dawnfrost10 2nd)**

**Ashfur and Bluestar (3 2nd)**

**Longtail and Mousefur (The Great Mikey Weston 2nd) **

**Rowanclaw and Tawnypelt (Newlife of thunderclan 2nd)**

**Ashfur and Hollyleaf ( 2nd)**

**Foxleap and Rosepetal (****Chloe Ravenclaw Mapleblossom 2nd)**

**Tigerclaw and Goldenflower (Click Clock 2nd) **

**Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight (Warriorcat99 3rd)**

**Berrynose and Heathertail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 3rd)**

**Hawkfrost and Ivypool (The Great Mikey Weston 3rd) **

**Tigerheart and Dovewing (Dawnfrost10 3rd)**

**Toadstep and Blossomfall (****Chloe Ravenclaw Mapleblossom 3rd)**

**Tigerstar and Sasha (****Click Clock 3rd)**

**Breezepelt and Hazeltail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 4th) **

**Cloudtail and Brightheart (The Great Mikey Weston 4th)**

**Firestar and Mistystar (****Chloe Ravenclaw Mapleblossom 4th)**

**Lionblaze and Cinderheart (Click Clock 4th)**

**Foxleap and Dawnpelt (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 5th)**

**Jayfeather and Briarlight (The Great Mikey Weston 5th)**

**Tigerstar and Leopardstar (****Click Clock 5th)**

**Tigerheart and Hollyleaf (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 6th) **

**Dustpelt and Ferncloud (****Click Clock** **6th)**

**Firestar and Frostfur (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 7th)**

**Ferncloud and Cloudtail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 8th)**


	8. Ashfur and Squirrelflight

**In response to your reviews:**

**Click Clock: If you meant I forgot to add them to the list, I can assure you they are there. As for FirexYellow… that's going to be interesting to say the least. I already have an idea for how it will go ;)**

**Leopardfire97: I revealed Feathertail's dark side in my story. And good idea on BirchxApple. Very different yet it makes sense at the same time.**

**Frozen Wings of Silver: Thanks! And you'll soon find out that not all of these stories are as sweet as FirexCinder. :)**

**Something a little off topic from this story: I need someone to beta read my first chapter for my next upcoming story. I already have it written and the person who's supposed to beta read it hasn't responded to my PMs _ So please if you're interested to beta read for this 1st chapter (and possibly more) send me a PM! The sooner the better, I really want to get this story out soon!**

**Ashfur and Squirrelflight**

Ashfur's lifeless body lay limp in the middle of the clearing. Squirrelflight loomed over him, staring at the empty corpse that used to be one of her dearest friends. She struggled to control the emotions battling deep within her, but it was useless.

Recently Ashfur had threatened to expose her secret; that she really wasn't the mother of Lionblaze, Jayfeather and Hollyleaf, because of the way that she had rejected him and chose Brambleclaw. At the time she had felt angry, shocked, confused and scared. Now she didn't know what to feel.

It was sad to see an old friend die, even when if he had recently gone crazy. Squirrelflight knew that deep down, Ashfur had a good heart. He'd just recently gone mad, he likely wasn't mentally stable. At the same she had to admit that she did feel a little relived that he had died before he could expose her secret. She knew that this was an ugly thought, but she couldn't deny it.

"Squirrelflight, are you alright?" Leafpool asked behind her.

Squirrelflight turned to face her sister, hoping that she wouldn't notice how deeply Ashfur's death had affected her. "I'm fine," she lied.

Leafpool nudged her affectionately. "Come on, don't lie to me." She could always tell when her sister was lying, ever since birth she had been acutely aware of what Squirrelflight was feeling at the moment. "I know it's hard to lose an old friend, Ashfur was a great cat," Leafpool mewed. "He's in StarClan now, and he's watching over us."

_I doubt that. _Squirrelflight silently, but that gave her an idea. "Do you think you could take me to Moonpool?"

Leafpool blinked in surprise, but she recovered quickly. "Sure, we can leave right now if you'd like."

Squirrelflight nodded. "Let's go."

...

Trees. Squirrelflight was surrounded by trees that seemed to go on forever. She was asleep at the Moonpool and was visiting StarClan's hunting grounds in her sleep. "Hello?" She called. "Is anyone there?"

There was no response, only the whisper of the wind as it brushed by the trees. Squirrelflight flexed her claws. "Ashfur!" She called desperately. She had to know if he was here and if he was she wanted to talk to him one last time. But Ashfur did not respond, in fact no cat responded. Squirrelflight was utterly alone. Her tail drooped. Ashfur must not be in StarClan after all. She shook her head slowly and woke up.

…

Ashfur watched silently from the shadows. He heard Squirrelflight call out his name and he almost rushed out to meet her, but the voice in his head stopped him. _You fool! If you go out there you'll compromise everything we've been working for! Squirrelflight doesn't love you and you don't love her. _

"Yes I do." Ashfur growled quietly. "You have no idea how deep my feelings for her are!" He watched desperately as she shook her head and vanished.

_We both know how _deep _her feeling for you are, _the voice sneered.

Ashfur dug his claws into the earth, trying to block out the voice.

The voice simply laughed at him. _You can't get rid of me, why would you want to anyway? Without me you're just a shell of a cat._

"You're insane! All these issues with Squirrelflight started because of you! You said revealing her secret would gain us control of the forest, but it didn't work!" Ashfur snapped. "I hurt Squirrelflight and she will _never _forgive me."

_You're better off without her. _The voice returned. _Besides, we will still rule the forest. A plan has already been set in motion._

Ashfur's eyes widened in surprise. "What kind of plan?"

_It's no concern of yours. _The voice said. _But we _will _rule the forest and we will get revenge on Squirrelflight!_

"No!" Ashfur yowled. "Leave her out of this! You have no reason to have anything to do with her anymore!"

_Silence! _The voice screeched. _She killed us! Now, do what I tell you to do or I'll take control and do it myself._

"Never!" Ashfur barred his teeth in defiance at the enemy in his head. His body started to convulse violently as the voice attempted to take control of him. Ashfur resisted vigorously but it was pointless. Before he lost complete control over himself he whispered, "Squirrelflight, I'm so sorry! I love you…."

Everything faded to black….

**Yes it's short but that's just the way I prefer to write!**

**Upcoming chapters:**

**Lionblaze and Dovewing (Shiningstarwhiteback 1st)**

**Blackstar and Leopardstar (3 1st) **

**Ashfur and Tawnypelt (SOUTHERNERS RULEZ 1st)**

**Jayfeather and Half Moon (The Great Mikey Weston 1st)**

**Hawkfrost and Feathertail (****Feather-TheNightMarePrincess 1st)**

**Tigerstar and Spottedleaf ( 1st)**

**Lionblaze and Icecloud (Chloe Ravenclaw Mapleblossom 1st)**

**Raggedstar and Yellowfang (Click Clock 1st)**

**Birchfall and Applefur (Leopardfur97 1st)**

**Lionblaze and Cinderheart (Warriorcat99 2nd)**

**Breezepelt and Heathertail (Dawnfrost10 2nd)**

**Jayfeather and Icecloud (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 2nd)**

**Graystripe and Silverstream (Dawnfrost10 2nd)**

**Ashfur and Bluestar (3 2nd)**

**Longtail and Mousefur (The Great Mikey Weston 2nd) **

**Rowanclaw and Tawnypelt (Newlife of thunderclan 2nd)**

**Ashfur and Hollyleaf ( 2nd)**

**Foxleap and Rosepetal (****Chloe Ravenclaw Mapleblossom 2nd)**

**Tigerclaw and Goldenflower (Click Clock 2nd) **

**Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight (Warriorcat99 3rd)**

**Berrynose and Heathertail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 3rd)**

**Hawkfrost and Ivypool (The Great Mikey Weston 3rd) **

**Tigerheart and Dovewing (Dawnfrost10 3rd)**

**Toadstep and Blossomfall (****Chloe Ravenclaw Mapleblossom 3rd)**

**Tigerstar and Sasha (****Click Clock 3rd)**

**Breezepelt and Hazeltail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 4th) **

**Cloudtail and Brightheart (The Great Mikey Weston 4th)**

**Firestar and Mistystar (****Chloe Ravenclaw Mapleblossom 4th)**

**Lionblaze and Cinderheart (Click Clock 4th)**

**Foxleap and Dawnpelt (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 5th)**

**Jayfeather and Briarlight (The Great Mikey Weston 5th)**

**Tigerstar and Leopardstar (****Click Clock 5th)**

**Tigerheart and Hollyleaf (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 6th) **

**Dustpelt and Ferncloud (****Click Clock** **6th)**

**Firestar and Frostfur (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 7th)**

**Fireheart and Yellowfang (Click Clock 7th)**

**Ferncloud and Cloudtail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 8th)**


	9. Lionblaze and Dovewing

**In response to your reviews:**

**Spottedwind19: Lion and Ice has already been asked for I believe as well as Crow and Feather. Adding your others… And I had never noticed that I always seem to end them that way. I guess that's what happens when I don't plan out my stories and just go with the flow. I'll try to stay away from that in the future.**

**My beta reader responded thankfully. So I don't need anyone to take his place. (Phew)**

**Lionblaze and Dovewing**

"Do you think I'm crazy or what?" Lionblaze pawed embarrassedly at the ground. "I wish I could change how I felt, but I just can't."

Jayfeather smiled. "You're not crazy, but coming to me for advice is a bit strange. You know I'm not allowed to have anything to do with romantic relationships."

Lionblaze nodded. "Yes," he mewed. "It's just, I feel so weird inside and I just had to talk to someone. You're the only one in the Clan that I really feel understands me."

Jayfeather nudged him affectionately. "I don't understand you, I accept you even if you are crazy," he teased.

Lionblaze rolled his eyes, even though he knew his blind brother wouldn't be able to tell. "What do you think I should do? Should I tell her how I feel? I'm so confused," he groaned.

Jayfeather shrugged. "Like I said earlier, I'm not much of a romantic. Just do what your heart tells you to do."

"And if she rejects me?"

Jayfeather didn't respond.

…

Dovewing turned over her fresh-kill uninterestedly. He was on her mind right now and she couldn't didn't feel like eating. Whenever she thought about him her stomach knotted up so tightly she thoughts she was going to implode. She sighed.

"What's the matter Dovewing?" A concerned voice asked from behind her.

Dovewing looked over her shoulder to see Cinderheart looking at her. "Oh it's nothing," she mewed halfheartedly.

Cinderheart sat down next to her. "I know you're lying to me. Now tell me for real, what's bugging you? You can talk to me about anything."

Dovewing gave in. "It's about this tom that I really like. And I mean like, like," she admitted.

Cinderheart's eyes gleamed. "Who is he? Please tell me he's from ThunderClan."

Dovewing rolled her eyes. "Of course he is mousebrain!" She mewed indignantly.

"Well, who is he then?" Cinderheart demanded.

Dovewing looked away from Cinderheart. "I'd rather not say," she mumbled.

"Whatever don't tell me." Cinderheart shrugged. "What's the issue then?"

"I want to tell him how I feel but I'm afraid he won't like me like that," Dovewing mewed.

Cinderheart let out a _mrrow_ of laughter. "Honestly Dovewing, if you let that get in your way you'll never get anywhere in life.You'll grow old and then regret that you never said anything."

That made sense to her she supposed. She jumped to her feet and began to pad away.

"Where are you going?" Cinderheart called after her.

Dovewing looked over her shoulder. "To go tell him how I feel."

…

Lionblaze wasn't paying attention and he collided with Dovewing. The smaller she-cat stumbled over. His eyes grew wide. "Oh Dovewing, I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention…"

Dovewing got to her feet and shrugged. "I'm fine."

There was an awkward pause in which neither cat said anything. Lionblaze broke the moment. "Um, actually Dovewing I've been meaning to tell you something."

Dovewing's eyes widened and Lionblaze thought he saw something flicker in her eyes, but he wasn't sure what it was. "I had something I needed to tell you too."

Lionblaze's tried to hide his surprise. "You first." He blurted.

Dovewing shook her head. "No you."

Lionblaze's heart was beating so hard, he thought it might burst out of his chest. He inhaled and felt the butterflies in his stomach. "Um what I was going to say is that I…" He stopped, finding it hard to breath.

"Yes?" Dovewing pressed.

"I really enjoyed eating that squirrel you caught earlier today," Lionblaze meowed lamely.

Dovewing's eyes betrayed her disappointment. "Oh," was all she mewed.

"What was it that you were going to tell me?" Lionblaze asked, changing the subject.

"Oh yeah, I just was going to say thank you for being such an awesome mentor." Dovewing mewed.

"Um thanks," Lionblaze mewed awkwardly. He jerked his head up. "I think someone just called my name, I need to go." He pelted by her into the forest.

Dovewing watched after him longingly.

**Upcoming chapters:**

**Blackstar and Leopardstar (3 1st) **

**Ashfur and Tawnypelt (SOUTHERNERS RULEZ 1st)**

**Jayfeather and Half Moon (The Great Mikey Weston 1st)**

**Hawkfrost and Feathertail (****Feather-TheNightMarePrincess 1st)**

**Tigerstar and Spottedleaf ( 1st)**

**Lionblaze and Icecloud (Chloe Ravenclaw Mapleblossom 1st)**

**Raggedstar and Yellowfang (Click Clock 1st)**

**Birchfall and Applefur (Leopardfur97 1st)**

**Brambleclaw and Feathertail (Spottedwind19 1st)**

**Lionblaze and Cinderheart (Warriorcat99 2nd)**

**Breezepelt and Heathertail (Dawnfrost10 2nd)**

**Jayfeather and Icecloud (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 2nd)**

**Graystripe and Silverstream (Dawnfrost10 2nd)**

**Ashfur and Bluestar (3 2nd)**

**Longtail and Mousefur (The Great Mikey Weston 2nd) **

**Rowanclaw and Tawnypelt (Newlife of thunderclan 2nd)**

**Ashfur and Hollyleaf ( 2nd)**

**Foxleap and Rosepetal (****Chloe Ravenclaw Mapleblossom 2nd)**

**Tigerclaw and Goldenflower (Click Clock 2nd) **

**Tigerheart and Dovewing (Spottedwind19 2nd)**

**Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight (Warriorcat99 3rd)**

**Berrynose and Heathertail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 3rd)**

**Hawkfrost and Ivypool (The Great Mikey Weston 3rd) **

**Tigerheart and Dovewing (Dawnfrost10 3rd)**

**Toadstep and Blossomfall (****Chloe Ravenclaw Mapleblossom 3rd)**

**Tigerstar and Sasha (****Click Clock 3rd)**

**Breezepelt and Hazeltail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 4th) **

**Cloudtail and Brightheart (The Great Mikey Weston 4th)**

**Firestar and Mistystar (****Chloe Ravenclaw Mapleblossom 4th)**

**Lionblaze and Cinderheart (Click Clock 4th)**

**Foxleap and Dawnpelt (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 5th)**

**Jayfeather and Briarlight (The Great Mikey Weston 5th)**

**Tigerstar and Leopardstar (****Click Clock 5th)**

**Tigerheart and Hollyleaf (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 6th) **

**Dustpelt and Ferncloud (****Click Clock** **6th)**

**Firestar and Frostfur (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 7th)**

**Fireheart and Yellowfang (Click Clock 7th)**

**Ferncloud and Cloudtail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 8th)**


	10. Blackfoot and Leopardstar

**In response to your reviews:**

**The Great Mikey Weston: Thanks for the support! And I must admit I still have no idea how I'm going to write Jay x Half…**

**Samus Linkin: Adding them to the list…**

**Leopardfire97: Sorry about that! :(**

**hawkfeather1234: I'll add them, even if I hate those couples. :P**

**: Yes as a matter of fact I have read Moonrise, multiple times. And in my story Feathertail wasn't stealing Crowfeather; she was simply going to extremes to regain him. Think about it, she died for him and then a couple moons later he falls in love with someone else? I'd be pretty ticked/desperate if I were in her position. Her intentions weren't evil. She didn't think that the badgers really would cause so much death; she just wanted a small disaster that would bring Crowfeather and Leafpool to their senses.**

**InvaderVyn: Yes, Lionblaze would be a bit awkward… I like that you're doing a couple from the original series. **

**Hawkstar: Ugh _ Whatever I suppose**

**WildCroconaw: I imagine the one of them would summon the guts to tell the other eventually.**

**Velvet Purr: I'll consider it, but I might not because the age difference between them creeps me out. O-o**

**Blackfoot and Leopardstar**

Scourge dodged nimbly out of the way and leaped at Tigerstar. He flashed his extra sharp claws at the larger tom.

Confusion and shock flooded Tigerstar's eyes as blood flowed freely from the wound. He tried to spit something at Scourge but he collapsed. His body soon started convulsing and then, just like that he was dead. There was a brief delay until Tigerstar was brought back to life, but his wound was too great for even StarClan to heal so he simply convulsed and died once again. The gory scene repeated itself until Tigerstar was dead; dead for real.

Leopardstar watched powerlessly from below, her jaws gaping in a silent yowl. There were no words to describe the emotions battling each other within her stomach. She felt as if she was going to get sick.

Firestar seemed to reflect Leopardstar's reaction. Staring hollow eyed at Scourge.

Leopardstar looked once again at Tigerstar's lifeless body, willing him to come back to life. The tom lay still though. She tried to move her paws, to escape from this terrible place forever but her paws were fixated into the ground. "_No!"_

…

Leopardstar jerked awake, panting heavily. She swept her head from side to side, confused for a moment. Then she realized it had only been a nightmare. She sighed and struggled to her feet, the nightmare may have just been a dream but the event had actually occurred a couple days ago. Ever since then it had haunted her dreams. She stepped out of her den and felt the cool night breeze greet her, she shivered and padded forward.

The rest of the cats of RiverClan and ShadowClan were all sleeping soundly, and none woke as Leopardstar padded quietly by their dens.

Leopardstar continued forward, passing familiar landmarks. She thought once again about her dream and she choked up. The dream was so real, exactly how she had recalled the event. Watching Tigerstar die so many times and in such a painful way was hard on Leopardstar and sometimes she wondered how she stayed sane. She stopped abruptly when she realized that she was at the river shore. She watched the majestic river as it flowed on by her.

"Leopardstar, are you alright?"

Leopardstar turned to face the newcomer. She relaxed her fur when she recognized Blackstar. She murmured a greeting to him.

Blackfoot looked at her, a look of concern on his face. "What are you doing out here so late?"

Leopardstar shrugged, she wasn't sure if she should tell Blackfoot or not. "I was having trouble sleeping," she lied and hoped that Blackstar wouldn't ask anything else.

Blackfoot wasn't convinced by her lie though. "Was it a bad dream?" He pressed. It was odd to see the ShadowClan leader being so gentle. Usually he was gruff and solitary. Like most ShadowClan cats.

Leopardstar sighed and decided to tell the truth. "Yes, I keep having a nightmare about when Tigerstar was killed by Scourge," she shivered. "I watch him die, over and over again…." She trailed off.

Blackfoot rested his tail on her shoulders reassuringly. "He was a great leader," he mewed. "It also troubled me deeply to watch his death. I never figured he would go out like that. I always pictured a more…noble death for him."

Leopardstar continued, "There is one reason above all that his death troubled me. Can I trust you?" She asked unexpactantly.

Blackfoot nodded without hesitation. "Of course. What is it?"

Leopardstar looked over her shoulder to make sure there were no cats around that might overhear her. Confident there conversation was private she admitted for the first time aloud, "I loved Tigerstar."

Blackfoot's eyes grew wide with surprise. But instead of challenging her like she expected he would he gave her a sympathetic lick. "That must have been really hard on you."

Leopardstar was so surprised was so shocked that she wasn't quite sure how to respond. "Um, yes it was."

"I can't imagine how hard on me it would be to watch the one I love perish like that." Blackfoot meowed.

That surprised Leopardstar. "I didn't know you had a mate."

Blackfoot shook his head and kneaded the ground in front of him embarrassedly. "I don't. I like her, but I don't have the guts to tell her."

For a heartbeat, Leopardstar was tempted to ask him who the she-cat was but she knew that would be completely out of order. An awkward silence passed between the two of them until she couldn't stand it anymore. She got to her feet and spoke to Blackfoot, "Well, it's been nice talking to you and all but I really should go get some sleep now." She turned to leave.

Blackfoot stopped her. "Wait, Leopardstar." He stared into her eyes, his gaze piercing. "If you ever want to talk again, feel free to ask me."

Leopardstar didn't reply but nodded her head. She took off into her territory the emotions she had felt earlier surfacing once again.

**This is a bit different, but I thought it was alright… **

**Upcoming stories:**

**Ashfur and Tawnypelt (SOUTHERNERS RULEZ 1st)**

**Jayfeather and Half Moon (The Great Mikey Weston 1st)**

**Hawkfrost and Feathertail (****Feather-TheNightMarePrincess 1st)**

**Tigerstar and Spottedleaf ( 1st)**

**Lionblaze and Icecloud (Chloe Ravenclaw Mapleblossom 1st)**

**Raggedstar and Yellowfang (Click Clock 1st)**

**Birchfall and Applefur (Leopardfur97 1st)**

**Brambleclaw and Feathertail (Spottedwind19 1st)**

**Crowfeather and Squirrelflight (Samus Linkin 1st)**

**Cloudtail and Daisy (hawkfeather1234 1st)**

**Lionheart and Bluestar (InvaderVyn 1st)**

**Firestar and Willowpelt (Hawkstar 1st)**

**Firestar and Cinderheart – Maybe (Velvet Purr 1st) **

**Lionblaze and Cinderheart (Warriorcat99 2nd)**

**Breezepelt and Heathertail (Dawnfrost10 2nd)**

**Jayfeather and Icecloud (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 2nd)**

**Graystripe and Silverstream (Dawnfrost10 2nd)**

**Ashfur and Bluestar (3 2nd)**

**Longtail and Mousefur (The Great Mikey Weston 2nd) **

**Rowanclaw and Tawnypelt (Newlife of thunderclan 2nd)**

**Ashfur and Hollyleaf ( 2nd)**

**Foxleap and Rosepetal (****Chloe Ravenclaw Mapleblossom 2nd)**

**Tigerclaw and Goldenflower (Click Clock 2nd) **

**Tigerheart and Dovewing (Spottedwind19 2nd)**

**Brambleclaw and Cinderpelt (Samus Linkin 2nd)**

**Spiderleg and Daisy (hawkfeather1234 2nd)**

**Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight (Warriorcat99 3rd)**

**Berrynose and Heathertail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 3rd)**

**Hawkfrost and Ivypool (The Great Mikey Weston 3rd) **

**Tigerheart and Dovewing (Dawnfrost10 3rd)**

**Toadstep and Blossomfall (****Chloe Ravenclaw Mapleblossom 3rd)**

**Tigerstar and Sasha (****Click Clock 3rd)**

**Berrynose and Heathertail (Samus Linkin 3rd)**

**Breezepelt and Hazeltail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 4th) **

**Cloudtail and Brightheart (The Great Mikey Weston 4th)**

**Firestar and Mistystar (****Chloe Ravenclaw Mapleblossom 4th)**

**Lionblaze and Cinderheart (Click Clock 4th)**

**Foxleap and Dawnpelt (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 5th)**

**Jayfeather and Briarlight (The Great Mikey Weston 5th)**

**Tigerstar and Leopardstar (****Click Clock 5th)**

**Tigerheart and Hollyleaf (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 6th) **

**Dustpelt and Ferncloud (****Click Clock** **6th)**

**Firestar and Frostfur (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 7th)**

**Fireheart and Yellowfang (Click Clock 7th)**

**Ferncloud and Cloudtail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 8th)**


	11. Ashfur and Tawnypelt

**In response to your reviews:**

**: Alright….**

**Leopardfire97: I give up. I'm just going to call you whatever comes to mind first. _**

**I luv Birdwing and Scourge: Sure!**

**: Sorry but JayxStick is not gonna happen… As for the rest of your couples sure!**

**WildCroconaw: I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)**

**Ashfur and Tawnypelt**

Tawnypelt jolted awake with a screech. "No!"

Next to her, Ashfur groggily opened his eyes. "What's the matter Tawnypelt? Is everything all right?"

Tawnypelt relaxed a little and nodded. "It was just a nightmare."

"Do you want to talk about?" Ashfur asked and Tawnypelt couldn't help but smile in appreciation.

"I don't even remember what it was about," she lied to Ashfur. She could actually remember the dream surprisingly well. She had been somewhere in ThunderClan territory, she wasn't sure what she was doing there. She saw Ashfur moving through the forest up ahead and she almost called out to him when she spotted a cat stalking him from behind. Her eyes grew wide as the cat; a black she-cat crept up on Ashfur and pounced. Claws flashed in the moonlight and Ashfur lay died with a wound stretched wide across his neck. That was when she had screeched and woke up.

"Alright." Ashfur said uneasily. "If you do remember, you can talk with me about it."

"I'm sure it was nothing." Tawnypelt reassured him. She snuggled closer to him in their makeshift den and looked up at the stars. Changing the subject she murmured to him, "It's so beautiful out tonight."

Ashfur nodded his agreement as he stared up into Silverpelt. "I wish we could always be together, like this," he meowed unexpactantly.

Tawnypelt sighed. "But we're from different Clans. We can never be _really _be together."

Ashfur flexed his claws in irritancy. "We could run away like Crowfeather and Leafpool did," he suggested.

Tawnypelt shook her head. "I love you Ashfur, but I could never leave my Clan. I belong in ShadowClan."

Ashfur started to rise to his paws. "I'd better be getting back to my camp."

Tawnypelt stood up next to him brushed against him affectionately. "I'll see you soon."

Ashfur nodded and before he left, added one last thing. "Consider my offer, Tawnypelt. We _can _be together."

…

For the next couple of days, Tawnypelt kept a sharp eye out for Ashfur, but she didn't see one whisker. _Maybe_ _he's mad at me._ She thought one day, staring longingly into ThunderClan's territory.

"Tawnypelt, I haven't spoken to you in a while." A familiar voice greeted her.

Tawnypelt turned to see her old friend, Squirrelflight and she returned the greeting. "I hope everything is going well in ThunderClan." She mewed, being cautious not to mention anything about Ashfur; she just had to know if something had happened to him.

Squirrelflight sighed. "Actually, one of our warriors was murdered a few days ago. The worst part is we have no clue who killed him."

_Him. _Tawnypelt's began to beat so hard that she was afraid it might burst. She took a deep breath before summoning the courage to ask more. "That's terrible! Who was the cat that was killed?"

Squirrelflight dipped her head sadly. "Ashfur."

Tawnypelt staggered backward a few steps. She opened her mouth but no sound came out. The whole world was spinning around her, and she felt like she was going to be sick. She was vaguely aware of Squirrelflight saying something to her, but she ignored her and instead took off into her own territory.

Tawnypelt slowed to a halt when she had reached her destination. The nest that she and Ashfur had shared a few nights ago. It seemed like an eternity to her. Tawnypelt inhaled deeply, and the Ashfur's warm, soothing scent reached her. She collapsed, sobbing. "Oh Ashfur, I'm so sorry." She whispered. "Please, come back to me. I'll run away with you! We can be together Ashfur, please just come back to me!"

But Ashfur was dead, and even his scent was slowly being carried away by the wind.

Tawnypelt yowled in anguish. "How could you do this to me StarClan?" She remembered her dream, and realized with a sickening feeling that it had come true. She had been given the opportunity to save Ashfur, but she had ignored the sign from StarClan. Tawnypelt curled up in the nest, and willed herself to die.

…

Tawnypelt opened her eyes and staggered to her feet. She knew she wasn't dead, by the intense hunger she was feeling. But more than a hunger for prey, she was feeling a much larger hunger for revenge. While she had been curled up in the nest, she had thought about her dream and realized that she did know who the black she-cat was. _Hollyleaf._

Tawnypelt was already thinking of ways she might avenge Ashfur.

…

All the cats in the clearing were murmuring to each other at once. Tawnypelt watched Hollyleaf in dismay as the black she cat fled the gathering. Hollyleaf had just announced to the all of the Clans that her true mother was Leafpool, not Squirrelflight. Shocked as she was, Tawnypelt knew this would be her only chance, she pelted after Hollyleaf.

…

Hollyleaf had had a head start on Tawnypelt, so when she followed Hollyleaf's scent trail into the ThunderClan camp, she was surprised to see Hollyleaf in Leafpool's den. Tawnypelt hid in the shadows so she wouldn't be seen and listened to Hollyleaf snarl something at Leafpool and then take off, once again from Leafpool's den.

Tawnypelt followed Hollyleaf, glad that she hadn't been noticed by any ThunderClan cat. She now followed Hollyleaf in the direction of the WindClan border, making sure she was a far enough distance away so Hollyleaf wouldn't notice her presence.

Finally when they were nearly at the WindClan border, two cats suddenly came up behind Hollyleaf. Hollyleaf spun around and Tawnypelt saw Lionblaze and Jayfeather come up to her.

The three cats started arguing and Tawnypelt was about to launch herself forward when Hollyleaf suddenly admitted in a loud wail, "I killed Ashfur!" Tawnypelt unsheathed her claws and started to creep forward but she stopped when Hollyleaf went forward again. Tawnypelt watched in dismay as Hollyleaf dove into a tunnel near the WindClan border and the tunnel collapsed on her.

Lionblaze and Jayfeather let out startled cries and started to dig through the collapsed tunnel, trying desperately to reach their sister.

Tawnypelt watched in silence, and when she saw Lionblaze and Jayfeather finally give up, she knew she had succeeded. She turned to head back into her own territory and looked back at the collapsed tunnel. Tawnypelt chuckled to herself and padded away.

**If I get just 1 more review for this story, I will have reached 50 reviews! That's so awesome and I can't tell you guys how much I appreciate your support. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :)**

**Upcoming Chapters:**

**Jayfeather and Half Moon (The Great Mikey Weston 1st)**

**Hawkfrost and Feathertail (****Feather-TheNightMarePrincess 1st)**

**Tigerstar and Spottedleaf ( 1st)**

**Lionblaze and Icecloud (Chloe Ravenclaw Mapleblossom 1st)**

**Raggedstar and Yellowfang (Click Clock 1st)**

**Birchfall and Applefur (Leopardfire97 1st)**

**Brambleclaw and Feathertail (Spottedwind19 1st)**

**Crowfeather and Squirrelflight (Samus Linkin 1st)**

**Cloudtail and Daisy (hawkfeather1234 1st)**

**Lionheart and Bluestar (InvaderVyn 1st)**

**Firestar and Willowpelt (Hawkstar 1st)**

**Firestar and Cinderheart – Maybe (Velvet Purr 1st) **

**Darkstripe and Mousefur (I luv Birdwing and Scourge 1st)**

**Lionblaze and Heathertail ( 1st)**

**Lionblaze and Cinderheart (Warriorcat99 2nd)**

**Breezepelt and Heathertail (Dawnfrost10 2nd)**

**Jayfeather and Icecloud (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 2nd)**

**Graystripe and Silverstream (Dawnfrost10 2nd)**

**Ashfur and Bluestar (3 2nd)**

**Longtail and Mousefur (The Great Mikey Weston 2nd) **

**Rowanclaw and Tawnypelt (Newlife of thunderclan 2nd)**

**Ashfur and Hollyleaf ( 2nd)**

**Foxleap and Rosepetal (****Chloe Ravenclaw Mapleblossom 2nd)**

**Tigerclaw and Goldenflower (Click Clock 2nd) **

**Tigerheart and Dovewing (Spottedwind19 2nd)**

**Brambleclaw and Cinderpelt (Samus Linkin 2nd)**

**Spiderleg and Daisy (hawkfeather1234 2nd)**

**Brambleclaw and Daisy (I luv Birdwing and Scourge 2nd)**

**Hawkfrost and Leafpool ( 2nd)**

**Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight (Warriorcat99 3rd)**

**Berrynose and Heathertail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 3rd)**

**Hawkfrost and Ivypool (The Great Mikey Weston 3rd) **

**Tigerheart and Dovewing (Dawnfrost10 3rd)**

**Toadstep and Blossomfall (****Chloe Ravenclaw Mapleblossom 3rd)**

**Tigerstar and Sasha (****Click Clock 3rd)**

**Berrynose and Heathertail (Samus Linkin 3rd)**

**Stormfur and Squirrelflight ( 3rd)**

**Lionblaze and Rosepetal (I luv Birdwing and Scourge 3rd)**

**Ashfur and Leafpool ( 3rd)**

**Breezepelt and Hazeltail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 4th) **

**Cloudtail and Brightheart (The Great Mikey Weston 4th)**

**Firestar and Mistystar (****Chloe Ravenclaw Mapleblossom 4th)**

**Lionblaze and Cinderheart (Click Clock 4th)**

**Tigerstar and Russetfur ( 4th)**

**Thornclaw and Daisy (I luv Birdwing and Scourge 4th)**

**Brambleclaw and Leafpool ( 4th)**

**Foxleap and Dawnpelt (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 5th)**

**Jayfeather and Briarlight (The Great Mikey Weston 5th)**

**Tigerstar and Leopardstar (****Click Clock 5th)**

**Graystripe and Brightheart ( 5th)**

**Tigerheart and Hollyleaf (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 6th) **

**Dustpelt and Ferncloud (****Click Clock** **6th)**

**Dustpelt and Sandstorm ( 6th)**

**Firestar and Frostfur (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 7th)**

**Fireheart and Yellowfang (Click Clock 7th)**

**Firestar and Sandstorm ( 7th)**

**Ferncloud and Cloudtail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 8th)**


	12. Jayfeather and Half Moon

**In response to your reviews:**

**: Alright, I'll think of someone…**

**Click Clock: Interesting idea, not quite sure why I hadn't ever thought of them before.**

**SharpWhisper: Yes :)**

**Chloe Ravenclaw Mappleblossom: I haven't read Crookedstar's Promise yet so no guarantees that it will be that impressive. :/**

**Just to let you guys know, this story is set during Long Shadows**

**Jayfeather and Half Moon**

Jayfeather sat on the open moorland, taking in all of the Clan's territories before him. He knew he was dreaming, obviously because he could see. He let out a sigh. "Why do things have to be so complicated," he murmured.

Not too long ago, Jayfeather had visited the ancient cats that had inhabited the lake area before the Clans had arrived. He'd had an interesting time, to say the least and met some interesting cats. The one that he could remember the best was Half Moon.

_Half Moon. _Her name alone brought a shiver to Jayfeather. He could clearly envision the white she-cat with her piercing green gaze. Practically from the moment he'd laid eyes on her, Jayfeather had been in love with her. But there was no way they could be together, or was there?

"Greetings Jayfeather." A cat spoke from behind him.

"Hello, Spottedleaf," Jayfeather replied without turning to look back at the former ThunderClan medicine cat.

Spottedleaf padded up to stand behind him. "I know what you're going through right now, and I understand it's not easy."

Jayfeather shook his head sadly. "You have no idea… But I must know, is there any way that we can be together?"

Spottedleaf hesitated, and it confirmed Jayfeather's suspicion. "So there is a way!" He exclaimed.

Spottedleaf nodded, "But you mustn't pursue her, Jayfeather." She warned. "You are a medicine cat, you're loyalty should be to your Clan, not Half Moon."

"Foxdung!" Jayfeather spat. "I can be loyal to both ThunderClan and Half Moon."

Spottedleaf's eyes brimmed with sadness and she simply shook her head. "It's against the Warrior Code. And there's a good reason for it too."

Jayfeather dug his claws into the soft earth, "I'm tired of these rules!" He hissed. "Some of them are ridiculous."

Spottedleaf laid her tail comfortingly on Jayfeather's shoulder. "I know that the rules may not always make sense but trust me, there's a reason for them."

Jayfeather sighed, "I've started to wonder if Clan life is worth it," he muttered. "I don't find any joy in life anymore. There's a hole in my heart that only Half Moon can feel."

Spottedleaf's eyes widened. "Don't say that!" She exclaimed, and Jayfeather was taken aback by her tone. "You're destined for things that are much larger than you. I know it's hard sometimes but you need to persevere."

Jayfeather was about to snap back a reply when a voice from behind interrupted him. "Maybe it will be best if he hears it from me."

Spottedleaf and Jayfeather both turned to face the newcomer. "Half Moon!" He exclaimed and rushed forward to greet her.

Half Moon brushed against him affectionately, "Hello Jay's Wing, or should I call you Jayfeather?"

Jayfeather drank in her sweet scent. "I don't care," he breathed. "So long as you're around to call me one or the other."

Half Moon smiled weakly. "I wish that I could, but we can't be together. Our paths are need to split, for the sake of your Clans."

Jayfeather took a step backward in shock, how could she say such a thing? "Don't you care about me?" He barely managed.

Jayfeather could feel the conflicting emotions coming off of Half Moon. "Of course I love you," she whispered. "But haven't you ever heard the phrase 'If you truly love some cat you'll be willing to let them go'?"

"'If they come back, they're yours; if they don't they were never yours to being with.'" Jayfeather finished the quote. "Do you love, Half Moon?"

Half Moon responded without any hesitation, "With every bit of my being Jayfeather."

"So if I let you go , will you still be mine?"

Half Moon butted his shoulder affectionately. "Of course. And then, in the future we can be together again."

Spottedleaf listened to the whole conversation, ears pricked but in silence.

"I guess this is goodbye then," Jayfeather muttered. "For now anyways."

Half Moon nodded halfheartedly. "I suppose so." She embraced with Jayfeather one last time. "I love you Jayfeather."

"I love you too." Jayfeather's mew was barely above a whisper. He watched Half Moon turn and pad away until she vanished from his view. Somehow, Jayfeather knew that would be the last time he would ever speak to Half Moon.

"You did the right thing there." Spottedleaf finally spoke.

Jayfeather faced her; he felt no emotion, no anger or sadness. Just this empty feeling. "And what was the right thing?"

"Putting your Clan before yourself." Spottedleaf replied. "You've paid the ultimate price for your Clanmates."

Jayfeather stared at Spottedleaf hollow-eyed. "The price was too high."

**A bit random and short I know, but I'm not completely up to date on the series so don't be hatin'! And yes, in this alternate universe Jayfeather never will see Half Moon again. How sad….**

**Upcoming Chapters:**

**Hawkfrost and Feathertail (****Feather-TheNightMarePrincess 1st)**

**Tigerstar and Spottedleaf ( 1st)**

**Lionblaze and Icecloud (Chloe Ravenclaw Mapleblossom 1st)**

**Raggedstar and Yellowfang (Click Clock 1st)**

**Birchfall and Applefur (Leopardfire97 1st)**

**Brambleclaw and Feathertail (Spottedwind19 1st)**

**Crowfeather and Squirrelflight (Samus Linkin 1st)**

**Cloudtail and Daisy (hawkfeather1234 1st)**

**Lionheart and Bluestar (InvaderVyn 1st)**

**Firestar and Willowpelt (Hawkstar 1st)**

**Firestar and Cinderheart – Maybe (Velvet Purr 1st) **

**Darkstripe and Mousefur (I luv Birdwing and Scourge 1st)**

**Lionblaze and Heathertail ( 1st)**

**Scourge and ? (**** 1st)**

**Lionblaze and Cinderheart (Warriorcat99 2nd)**

**Breezepelt and Heathertail (Dawnfrost10 2nd)**

**Jayfeather and Icecloud (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 2nd)**

**Graystripe and Silverstream (Dawnfrost10 2nd)**

**Ashfur and Bluestar (3 2nd)**

**Longtail and Mousefur (The Great Mikey Weston 2nd) **

**Rowanclaw and Tawnypelt (Newlife of thunderclan 2nd)**

**Ashfur and Hollyleaf ( 2nd)**

**Foxleap and Rosepetal (****Chloe Ravenclaw Mapleblossom 2nd)**

**Tigerclaw and Goldenflower (Click Clock 2nd) **

**Tigerheart and Dovewing (Spottedwind19 2nd)**

**Brambleclaw and Cinderpelt (Samus Linkin 2nd)**

**Spiderleg and Daisy (hawkfeather1234 2nd)**

**Brambleclaw and Daisy (I luv Birdwing and Scourge 2nd)**

**Hawkfrost and Leafpool ( 2nd)**

**Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight (Warriorcat99 3rd)**

**Berrynose and Heathertail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 3rd)**

**Hawkfrost and Ivypool (The Great Mikey Weston 3rd) **

**Tigerheart and Dovewing (Dawnfrost10 3rd)**

**Toadstep and Blossomfall (****Chloe Ravenclaw Mapleblossom 3rd)**

**Tigerstar and Sasha (****Click Clock 3rd)**

**Berrynose and Heathertail (Samus Linkin 3rd)**

**Stormfur and Squirrelflight ( 3rd)**

**Lionblaze and Rosepetal (I luv Birdwing and Scourge 3rd)**

**Ashfur and Leafpool ( 3rd)**

**Breezepelt and Hazeltail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 4th) **

**Cloudtail and Brightheart (The Great Mikey Weston 4th)**

**Firestar and Mistystar (****Chloe Ravenclaw Mapleblossom 4th)**

**Lionblaze and Cinderheart (Click Clock 4th)**

**Tigerstar and Russetfur ( 4th)**

**Thornclaw and Daisy (I luv Birdwing and Scourge 4th)**

**Brambleclaw and Leafpool ( 4th)**

**Foxleap and Dawnpelt (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 5th)**

**Jayfeather and Briarlight (The Great Mikey Weston 5th)**

**Tigerstar and Leopardstar (****Click Clock 5th)**

**Graystripe and Brightheart ( 5th)**

**Crookedstar and Petaldust (Chloe Ravenclaw Mapleblossom 5th)**

**Tigerheart and Hollyleaf (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 6th) **

**Dustpelt and Ferncloud (****Click Clock** **6th)**

**Dustpelt and Sandstorm ( 6th)**

**Firestar and Frostfur (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 7th)**

**Fireheart and Yellowfang (Click Clock 7th)**

**Firestar and Sandstorm ( 7th)**

**Ferncloud and Cloudtail (Gumi Da Awesome Gumi Bear Gal 8th)**

**Fireheart and Bluestar (Click Clock 8th)**


	13. Hawkfrost and Feathertail

**In response to your reviews:**

**Click Clock: I think that's been suggested already, but I'm not positive…**

**Rain's Song: Thank you very much :)**

**WildCroconaw: I'm glad you found it interesting.**

**SparklingRinglets: Eh, I think that this is very much bordering that rule… Nonetheless, I'll still change this. There's nothing wrong with people leaving me suggestions, but if I make a list and guarantee them their couple then I guess I could see what you're getting at… So I'll remove the list but that doesn't mean I'll stop taking suggestions. **

**The Great Mikey Weston: Thank you very much! My goal in writing is to make my readers feel emotion, and I'm glad that it's working on you. As for titles, no. I call them the name of the couple so people will be able to find the couple they're looking for. When I finish this I will probably organize them alphabetically. And thanks for pointing out the incest. O-o I knew that but for some reason it didn't come to mind. I look forward to your next review! :)**

**So yes, the way this works is going to be changed a little. No more list. But that doesn't mean that I won't do them in that order. :)**

**Hawkfrost and Feathertail**

Hawkfrost felt himself lose his breath. He stared at her, sitting all alone eating a piece of fresh kill. For a split second, he was tempted to go sit next to her, but he knew that wouldn't be a smart move. _She doesn't even know I exist anymore… _"Oh, Feathertail," He murmured softly.

"Hawkfrost, what are you doing?" Came a surprised meow from behind him.

Hawkfrost whirled around to see Mothwing, his sister. He slapped his tail over her mouth, effectively silencing her. "Shhhhh!" He hissed. He motioned over to some reeds on the other side of the camp. "We can talk over there."

Mothwing looked suspicious, but she nodded and followed him over into the reeds. "Now will you tell me what that was about?" She demanded.

Hawkfrost nodded reluctantly. "I've had a crush on Feathertail for awhile now," he admitted to her.

Mothwing's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? I had no idea." She recovered and licked him affectionately. "That's great! Why don't you go talk to her now?"

Hawkfrost shook his head sharply. "There's no way I can talk to her."

Mothwing tipped her head to the side. "Why not? Didn't the two of you use to be good friends?"

Hawkfrost nodded. "We _used _to be. Now she completely ignores me." His voice was bitter.

Mothwing laid her tail over his shoulder comfortingly. "I'm sure if you would just talk to her, you could be close friends again."

Hawkfrost drew back from her. "I wish, but she ignores me even when I try to talk to her!" His voice had risen to a wail. "You should see how she acts! The other day she nearly ran into me, but I got out of the way and apologized," he paused. "She didn't say anything though. She didn't even look at me! She just looked stared right through me as if I didn't exist…."

"I'm so sorry." Mothwing whispered. "I wish I could sympathize but, I'm a medicine cat. I haven't ever really felt love."

Hawkfrost hissed in annoyance. "I don't need you to understand!"

Mothwing took a step backward, but then she stepped forward again, refusing to let Hawkfrost intimidate her. "What are you going to do about then?" She pressed.

Hawkfrost shrugged. "I don't think there's anything that I can do."

Mothwing rolled her eyes. "Of course there's something you can do, mousebrain!"

Hawkfrost's eyebrow rose. "And what is that?"

"Talk to her!" Mothwing exclaimed.

Hawkfrost pawed at the ground. "No… I can't do that. She'd just ignore me…."

Mothwing shook her head. "She's ignored you before, but that's because you've never really tried talking to her. There's no way she'd ignore you then."

Hawkfrost's eyes began to light up with hope. "Maybe, I've always been too nervous to directly talk to her."

Mothwing gave his shoulder an affectionate shove. "Go, talk to her."

Hawkfrost looked startled. "N-n-now?" He stammered.

"Yes now!" Mothwing nudged him forward.

Hawkfrost stepped out of the reeds and spotted Feathertail, still sitting alone eating. He took a deep breath. _You can do this! _ He padded over next to her and sat next to her. "Hi, Feathertail," he mewed tentatively.

Feathertail looked surprised, but she responded. "Hello, Hawkfrost."

Hawkfrost opened his mouth, but Feathertail interrupted him. "Heavystep, over here!" She sprung to her paws, and Hawkfrost watched dumbfounded as she embraced with the tom and lead him over to where Hawkfrost was and sat down with him. Her eyes now shone with a new light, "What were you saying, Hawkfrost?"

Hawkfrost felt something inside him snap, and could practically feel his heart harden. He got to his feet. "Nothing," he growled. "Nothing important."

**This may seem really odd, but this story has a lot of personal meaning to me. I'm kind of going through things similar to what Hawkfrost goes through. Sorry this update took so long!**


	14. Lionblaze and Icecloud

**In response to your reviews:**

**Spottedwind19: Yes.**

**Fluffy Cake: I wouldn't necessarily say she's evil; she does something incredibly selfish because she's in love. Feather and Bramble? I might be able to come up with something interesting, do you want me to add them to the list then? And no, I can't bump them up, sorry! :(**

**SharpWhisper: Glad you liked it, thanks for reading! :)**

**WildCroconaw: As do I _**

**I'm Too Lazy To Log In: Don't support, but ok!**

**I am so immensely sorry I haven't updated in literally forever! I have a decent excuse though, I've been writing a real book that I plan on publishing eventually, so anytime I've been writing I've been working on it. I might go back to writing these one-shots occasionally when I have writer's block for my book. Thanks for not complaining or sending me hateful messages!**

**A little note before we begin, this is set some time after The Last Hope. I hope you enjoy! :)**

**Lionblaze and Icecloud**

"Lionblaze, I need to tell you something." Icecloud started, but she stared down at her paws nervously.

Immediately Lionblaze was suspicious. _Bad news? What now? _ "Yes?" He prompted her to continue.

"Well, it's just that… I've been meaning to tell you…. What I mean is that…" Icecloud sighed and stared directly into Lionblaze's eyes, and said in a more confident tone. "Lionblaze, I love you."

Lionblaze stared at Icecloud, caught completely off guard. He realized that he must look like a mousebrain starting at her dumbly without saying anything, but he didn't know what to think, let alone what say! _Icecloud loves me?_

"I should've told you sooner, but I was terrified that you would reject me. I've waited long enough now. I know that my timing is bad, especially after Cinderheart… passed away recently, and I'm sorry, but this has been haunting me for too long, I needed to get this off my chest."

By now Lionblaze had recovered, "Icecloud, I'm very flattered but this is just too soon. I'm not ready to move on yet, you're an incredible cat. Maybe there could be something between us eventually, but right now I'm just not ready yet."

Icecloud's eyes lit up excitedly. "Do you really mean that?"

Lionblaze nodded, "Right now I just need some time, and space."

…

"How are you feeling?" Lionblaze asked Dovewing anxiously. A few moons had passed since he'd talked with Icecloud, he didn't think much of their conversation anymore. In fact, he had barely spoken with Icecloud since the incident.

"I'm good!" Dovewing purred. "I'm a bit tired, my kits are intent on exhausting me, all day I've felt them squirming around."

"It won't be long until they're kitted," Lionblaze pointed out.

"The sooner the better," Dovewing murmured and then she struggled to her paws. "I'm going to head over to the nursery now, it's late."

Lionblaze brushed his nose against her pelt affectionately. "Night, I'll see you tomorrow."

Dovewing flicked her tail affectionately as she disappeared into the nursery.

…

"Icecloud's gone missing!" The loud wail jolted Lionblaze awake. He looked around, confused. "What?" He exclaimed.

Birchfall paced back in forth, near the entrance of the warriors' den. "Icecloud is missing." He repeated more calmly this time. "She was in her nest earlier, but now it's cold. Berrynose is on watch right now and he should have seen her leave the camp if she was going to make dirt, she snuck out!"

Lionblaze got to his paws; around him other warriors were beginning to stir. "Stay here," he ordered Birchfall. "I'll go find her."

Birchfall looked as if he were going to protest, but then thought better of it and gave a brisk nod to Lionblaze. "Alright then."

"Don't worry," Lionblaze assured Birchfall, "I'll find her."

"You better," Birchfall almost growled.

"I swear by StarClan I will."

…

Lionblaze quickly picked up Icecloud's scent outside the camp; he began to follow it towards the WindClan border. As he tracked Icecloud, he wondered what reason she had to sneak out in the middle of the night. _This couldn't possibly be about me… Right? _But the more he thought about it, the more he came convinced that this had something to do with him. The scent was gradually becoming fresher and fresher, and he realized with a sickening feeling that the trail was leading him toward the area near the WindClan border where Icecloud had shared her feelings for him. A dark feeling of foreboding rushed over Lionblaze, he tried to push it away, but he couldn't. This couldn't end well. Lionblaze stopped abruptly, he could scent Icecloud, he was practically on top of her. "Icecloud?" He called out.

Icecloud made Lionblaze jump as she parted through the bushes at his side, "What do you want, Lionblaze?" She asked coldly.

Lionblaze decided to ignore her hostility, "What are you doing?" He demanded.

"Leaving," Icecloud stated simply.

"What? You can't!" Lionblaze exclaimed.

"I don't have a choice," Icecloud muttered sounding more like herself.

"Why?" Lionblaze asked.

"You!" Icecloud blurted. "I can't stand this anymore, I can't be around you anymore!"

"Did I do something wrong?"

Icecloud's eyes widened. "Lionblaze, you acted as if you were interested in me, you told me that maybe there could be something between us, and then you quit talking to me! You acted interested in me, and then totally ignored me!"

"I didn't mean to lead you on, I was just-"

Icecloud cut him off, "That wasn't enough though," she continued. "Next, you began talking with Dovewing all the time, you acted all mushy around her. Then one thing leads to another and suddenly she's pregnant with your kits. Lionblaze, you have no idea how badly you've hurt me. I was waiting for you, I was giving you space liked you asked, I was willing to wait forever for you, _you were my everything."_

Lionblaze stood speechless in front of Icecloud, once again, a storm of emotions brewing in his stomach. Guilt, regret and sorrow.

"You have no idea how miserable these past moons have been for me, you were all I could think about all day, I waited, hoping… And now, all I feel is pain. More pain than I've ever felt, more pain than I thought a cat could possibly feel. I can't stand this anymore, I can't be around you anymore." A single tear slipped down Icecloud's cheek, "That's why I'm leaving."

"Please, Icecloud, don't do this! I can make it up to you somehow!" Lionblaze pleaded.

Icecloud shook her head, "You've done enough." She backed up slowly towards the WindClan border. "Goodbye, Lionblaze." She turned and sprinted, quickly disappearing from sight.

Lionblaze watched her, in disbelief. _Oh StarClan, what have I done? _

**Was it any good? Leave me a review telling me what you thought of it!**


	15. Firestar and Mistystar

**In response to your reviews:**

**WildCroconaw: I'm glad that you can relate with my interpretations of the characters!**

**The Gone Angel: Added them to the list.**

**Snowclaw: Thanks! :) And I definitely agree!**

**Mangoflame: Added!**

**Guest: Added, and thanks!**

**Fireflames's: I'm a fan of CrowxLeaf but I must admit that I enjoy CrowxFeather more. Thanks for the kind words as well!**

**Invisi The Royal Platypus: I've added them to the list, thanks for reading!**

**Annabelle: I find Cinderheart and Firestar kinda creepy. Besides, I already did Firestar and Cinderpelt!**

**Once again, apologies for the late upload. I'm really, really busy. I haven't really been motivated to write lately either… Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy this! :)**

**Setting: Takes place during Fading Echoes.**

**Firestar and Mistystar**

Mistystar sat alone on the lakeshore; overhead stars shimmered in the night sky. Everything was silent, and she couldn't help but sigh in relief. The last few days had been difficult, never before had she grasped how burdening being a Clan leader was. There was so much to do, and even though she was stressed out but still had to maintain her composure for her Clanmates. "Oh Leopardstar," she murmured. "I wish you were still here. I don't feel fit to lead this Clan." She shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, I feel as if I'm letting you down, but I can't do this on my own. Please, I beg of you, send me a sign, something, anything! Just show me what I can do to better please you and all of StarClan."

"Mistystar!" A voice called out, some cat was racing down the shore towards her.

Mistystar turned, frustrated at this newcomer for interrupting her. "What do you want?" She spat angrily.

Pouncetail skidded to a stop, his eyes wide. "I-I'm sorry," he stammered, surprised at Mistystar's uncharacteristically angry response. "Firestar is at our camp, and he's requested that you come talk with him."

Mistystar's eyes narrowed. "Fine." She stood up slowly. _Can't I ever get a break? _She wondered miserably.

…

"We should be safe to talk here; this is usually where I go when I need some peace and quiet." Mistystar settled down across from Firestar at her usual spot along the lakeshore. "Now, what is it that you want to talk to me about?"

Firestar pawed at the ground in front of him nervously. "Well, this may sound a bit strange, but I was told to. In a dream."

_Could this be an answer from Leopardstar? _Mistystar couldn't hide her excitement. "Was it Leopardstar? Did she ask you to come here?"

Firestar nodded with a surprised expression on his face. "Yes, do you know why she wanted me to come talk to you?"

Mistystar hesitated. Was it really a wise idea to show weakness to another Clan leader?

"ThunderClan is willing to help RiverClan in any way that we can. Please, if you're in trouble just let me know, I won't ask for anything in return." Firestar said earnestly.

"RiverClan isn't in any danger," Mistystar began cautiously.

Firestar frowned. "What's wrong then?"

"What's wrong is that RiverClan is being led by an unfit leader," Mistystar admitted.

Realization flickered in Firestar's emerald eyes. "You don't feel worthy to lead your Clan? That's ridiculous! There's not another cat in RiverClan more suited to be leader."

Mistystar dipped her head. "I appreciate your kind words, but I'm not the incredible leader that every cat seems to think that I am. These past few days have been miserable, and frankly I don't know how much longer I can keep this up. There's so much pressure! I can't ever make any mistakes, and I'm always busy with so much to organize!"

An amused grin spread out across Firestar's face. "That's all part of being a leader! No cat ever said it would be easy."

"I suppose so." Mistystar replied.

"Have faith in yourself," Firestar continued. "Leopardstar chose you to be her deputy because she trusted you to make the right decisions for RiverClan. You don't need to try to emulate her, lead your Clan the way that _you _think you should. I guarantee you that Leopardstar wants it that way."

Mistystar sat still for a moment as the realization that Firestar's words were true sunk in. Mixed feelings of awe and gratitude washed over her. "Thank you," was all she could think to say.

Firestar stood to his paws, "I better be on my way now before my Clan starts worrying about me."

Mistystar nodded, "Of course." Though she wished Firestar would stay longer and continue to talk with her. _That's ridiculous. _She mentally scolded herself. _He has his Clan to tend to and you have yours._

As he left, Firestar called out over his shoulder, "If you ever need to talk again, just let me know!"

Mistystar watched him pad away, harboring an odd feeling that she couldn't think to identify.

…

"And that is all, the prey is plentiful and ShadowClan is as strong and healthy as ever." Blackstar concluded his report.

Nearly a moon had passed since Firestar had talked with Mistystar, and ever since she hadn't been able to keep him out of her mind. She'd spent many nights wide awake, unable to get the handsome ginger tom out of her mind.

At first she denied any notion that she might have feelings for the ThunderClan leader, but as time passed she slowly realized that she did indeed have feelings for Firestar. Powerful feelings. It didn't take long until she was completely

"Mistystar, would you like to speak next?" Firestar peered down at Mistystar.

Mistystar nearly froze at the mention of her name, but responded timidly, "Yes, I would." She cleared her throat nervously. "Cats of all Clans, I have news to report to all of you. I am officially retiring from my position as leader of RiverClan."

Shocked murmurs broke out among the cats. Mistystar decided to ignore them and waited for the cats to quiet down.

"Why in StarClan's name are you retiring?" Blackstar demanded.

"I have decided to retire because I am in love with a cat from another Clan." Mistystar replied more confidently.

Cats jumped to their paws, and cries of outrage erupted all across the clearing.

"How dare she!"

"Does the Warrior Code mean nothing to her?"

"She is a disgrace to the Clans!"

"StarClan sent this cat to me in my time of need, and I believe that they intend us to be together." She turned to face Firestar. "I can hide my feelings no longer. Firestar, I love you."

Surprise and confusion lit up Firestar's face, and Mistystar realized that he probably didn't return her feelings. She immediately dropped from the oak tree and tore off, away from all the other cats. She raced across the falling tree and continued to run until the tears in her eyes clouded her vision.

Mistystar stopped and fell to the ground. _What have I done? I'm such a mouse-brained idiot! How could I've ever believed that he could possibly have any feelings for me? _She shook uncontrollably as sobs overtook her. _Oh Firestar, I'm so sorry! _

"Mistystar?" A voice asked tentatively. "Is everything alright?"

Mistystar whirled to face the newcomer. "Firestar!" She gasped.

"You left so quickly, I saw you take off in this direction and I was worried about you."

"I'm fine," Mistystar lied. She was _anything _but fine. "I'm sorry about that."

"Why are you sorry?"

"I embarrassed you in front of all those cats," Mistystar said sadly.

Firestar simply chuckled, "You know, you never gave me a chance to reply."

Mistystar shot up immediately. "What-?"

Firestar's eyes softened. "Mistystar, I love you too."

**A happy ending! I usually don't end my stories this way but I suppose I should every now and then ;)**

**I don't really like this story, but I'll upload it anyway! Hopefully some of you enjoy it, leave me a review telling me what you thought of it! Thanks :)**


	16. Lionblaze and Heathertail

**In Response To Your Reviews:**

**VitanixKopa: I'm glad you liked it! I'll add them to the list :)**

**WildCroconaw: Thanks! **

**Direwolfgirl: Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed my one-shots (even if a lot of them are unhappy endings :) I'll add your suggestion to my list!**

**Sunleaf: Weird couple, but I'll add it to the list anyway!**

**Guest: Sorry :(**

**star flower: :O k**

**I feel inspired to write, so write I shall! I hope you enjoy :3**

**Lionblaze and Heathertail **

"I love you, Heathertail. Please promise me that you'll never forget that" Lionblaze gazed intently into Heathertail's heather-blue eyes.

"How could I forget?" Heathertail replied amusedly. "You haven't exactly give me a chance to forget," she teased.

Lionblaze felt his stomach drop. _Can I really follow through with this? _He wondered desperately. He pawed at the ground nervously, "We need to talk though," he managed to get out through gritted teeth.

Heathertail sat up, eyes darkened with concern. "What's the matter?" She asked nervously.

Lionblaze sighed, _StarClan give me strength! _"I... I can't keep seeing you..."

Heathertail's eyes widened in shock. "What?" She demanded. "Why not?"

A wave of nausea crashed over Lionblaze, and he barely resisted the urge to get sick. "What we're doing here is wrong, we're betraying our Clans!"

Heathertail jumped to her paws, "How can you say that, Lionblaze? We're not hurting anyone!"

"Heathertail, please try to understand, this isn't easy for me either-"

Heathertail cut him off, "Not easy for you? I thought you loved me!" Her voice rang out accusingly, and filled Lionblaze with more doubt.

"I do, I'm so sorry..."

"Liar!" Heathertail spat. "If you really cared for me you wouldn't do this!" She started taking steps backward.

"Heathertail-"

"Sorry, I can't talk to you; I wouldn't want to stand between you and your Clan," she stood still for a brief moment before fleeing back to WindClan territory.

Lionblaze stared after her, silently. A single tear slid down his face.

…

"Those were the days," Heathertail chuckled. She sat next to Lionblaze; now on friendly terms with him, at the Gathering, reflecting on their romantic adventures that had occurred many moons ago. "We may have been naïve, but I truly did love you."

"Actually, the more I think about it, I'm pretty sure that what we didn't have the right definition of love," Lionblaze admitted.

"Oh really?" Heathertail replied, "That's not what you seemed to think!" She nudged Lionblaze affectionately.

Lionblaze felt his fur grow hot with embarrassment, "I've given this a lot of thought, and I don't think that back then I understood what it meant to love."

"So you're saying that you didn't actually have feelings for me?"

"That's not what I meant," Lionblaze continued, "I used to think that love was having a huge crush on somecat, but that couldn't be further from the truth."

"What is love, then?" Heathertail inquired.

"I don't think that I've truly come to an understanding of it yet," Lionblaze confessed, "But from what I've learned over the moons, love is a feeling more powerful than all others combined. Love is caring about someone more than you care about yourself, being willing to graciously make sacrifices for another. Love is longing to be with someone not simply because of how they make you feel, or what they can do for you, but because you care about them and couldn't imagine living without them. Love is feeling empathy for another, mourning in the low times of life and celebrating with them during the good times. Love is a starry night sky, breathtakingly beautiful, permanently magical, vast, unending and passion-filled. True love isn't fleeting, it never goes away and will never fail you."

"Wow," was all Heathertail could manage to say, "When did you become so philosophical?"

"When I realized a long time ago that I'd fallen in love with somecat," Lionblaze replied.

Heathertail eyed Lionblaze suspiciously, "And who might that be?"

Lionblaze opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by Breezepelt's sudden appearance. "Heathertail, we need to get going," he glared at Lionblaze accusingly, "WindClan is leaving."

Lionblaze dipped his head respectfully, "Of course."

A look of bewilderment crossed Heathertail's face, "But Lionblaze-"

Lionblaze dipped his head in farewell, "Goodbye, Heathertail."

**This one was a bit different... I kinda changed directions on where I wanted the story to go a few times, but whatever! Feel free to leave a review telling me what you thought! **


	17. Firestar and Sandstorm

**In response to your reviews:**

**Takashimo: Thank you! :) I'll add your suggestion to my list!**

**61Stormwhisker16: Thank you for the compliment, but I'm certainly nowhere near brilliant! As for the story, it's probably not gonna happen, I'm not saying no for sure, it's just unlikely to happen, sorry!**

**ImAGest: Thank you very much for the compliment, and thanks for reading! ;)**

**Warrior cats fan: Added to my list!**

**Guest: All added to my list! And don't worry about odd couples, they're really enjoyable for me to write!**

**Guest (Fuzzy): I know you left you're comment about two months ago, but if nothing more has happened, I would strongly suggest that you tell him how you feel! If he's not interested, then you can stay friends and you'll be able to move on and find another guy, or he could be interested in you that way! You really do need to do something, either stop liking him or tell him, because doing nothing about it is only wasting your time! I wish you the best of luck! **

**Fuzzyh3art: I don't do OC, but other than that the others are added to my list!**

**Guest: I'm not sure how I feel about Spottedleaf, but I'm definitely on Team Sandstorm! **

**Warriors reader: That's not a hate comment at all! I tend to write sadder stories because it's easier for me to express emotion through the stories when I'm writing sad endings, but I agree, my stories need more happy endings!**

**Reader: ^**

**Random reader: Thanks, and added!**

**Reader: Thanks! And it's just a difference of opinion!**

**mardinilena: Thank you! :)**

**Anonymous: Wow, it's amazing to hear that my writing has positively impacted someone! Thank you so much for reading, and for sharing that! Good luck and I hope things get better for you! :)**

**Reader: I didn't really feel like Ashfur was all that evil, he didn't kill anyone, but I still wasn't a big fan of him! And yes, he does commit suicide (I know it's really dark!) Feathertail is one of my favorite characters, obviously she would never do something like that, but it was really fun writing her that way! And thank you very much! :)**

**Guest: I couldn't agree more!**

**Cats: Well, I'm trying to mimic the same writing tone that Warriors had, so I think I'll avoid anything but implying mating! **

**cinderheart4life: Alright! ;)**

**shadowXwurmpleX3: Honestly, I probably won't. It's a cliffhanger! It gives you an opportunity to finish the story how you want it to end! ;)**

**Wow, that was a lot of reviews to reply to! And that's mainly because I haven't updated in FOREVER. Sorry about that...**

**A little while back, my story hit 100 reviews! I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for reading and reviewing my story! And without further ado, here is my latest chapter:**

**Firestar and Sandstorm**

Silence filled the clearing. Not a single cat dared to move. All eyes were on the body that laid before Firestar. Blood pooled around it, and the unmistakable stench of death was thick in the air. Firestar gritted his teeth, desperately trying to ignore his instincts that were telling him to run, to get away from this place!

_Not even Tigerstar was deserving of such a death! Dear StarClan, can even you save us from this darkness? _And yet StarClan were silent, as if even they were terrified. A small, black cat standing opposite Firestar took a step forward and stood on top of the body of Tigerstar. His icy blue eyes locked with Firestar's, and Firestar couldn't help but shiver.

"Hopefully now you understand what will become of those who defy me," the black cat declared in a menacing tone. "I would suggest that rest of you leave my forest, or you'll end up like him."

"Please Scourge, don't do this! You're quarrel was with Tigerstar, not the rest of us!" Firestar begged.

Scourge chuckled quietly and ran his paw slowly along the necklace of teeth that he wore around his neck. "You really think I intended to rule this forest with Tigerstar by my side? The forest is mine now, and you should consider yourself lucky that I haven't slaughtered each and every one of you yet."

Firestar gritted his teeth, "Fine." He turned to face the forest cats standing behind him. "Are you prepared to fight?" He stared into the crowd of warriors, and couldn't help but feel nervous. Many of them had unsure expressions on their faces, was he making a mistake standing up to Scourge?

Sandstorm stepped forward, "We will fight to the death!" She cried out.

Next to her, cats leaped to their paws and yowled their agreement. They unsheathed their claws and started forward.

Firestar made eye contact with Sandstorm, and expressed his gratitude with his eyes. She simply smiled back at him. Firestar turned to face Scourge, "Are you sure-"

He was cut off mid-sentence as Scourge barreled into him. "BloodClan, attack!" He shrieked.

Both sides surged forward and collided, and the forest was suddenly alive.

…

Firestar slowly gathered himself to his paws. He staggered around momentarily, and blinked his eyes. He had a massive headache. Firestar looked around the clearing, bodies littered it, and there was blood everywhere. So much blood...

A voice behind him called out, "Firestar! You killed Scourge, the battle is over! Are you alright?"

Firestar turned slowly to face Cinderpelt. "Yes," he replied though he was quite certain that he wasn't alright. "Are there many injured?"

Cinderpelt nodded, "And many dead as well."

_And every dead warrior is because of me, they gave their lives because I ordered them to. _The reality hit Firestar suddenly, and it made him feel sick to the stomach.

Cinderpelt seemed to read his mind, "You're not to blame," she murmured. "They gave their lives willingly for a noble cause. If it weren't for you we would've all been driven out by now. You saved the Clans, Firestar."

Firestar dipped his head, "Thank you." Suddenly, he remembered the exchange he'd had with Sandstorm before the battle, he'd meant to thank her for standing up for him. Firestar glanced around the clearing, but didn't see her anywhere. Did that mean she was-? No, it couldn't! "Where's Sandstorm?" He demanded.

Cinderpelt hesitated, and Firestar take an angry step toward her. "Where is she?" He repeated, his voice was filled with desperation.

Cinderpelt glanced down at her paws, "I had her carried her back to the camp, she was injured pretty badly, I don't think she'll make it..." She trailed off.

Firestar barely stopped himself from leaping at her, "What? Why are you not back at the camp treating her?"

"I did what I could!" Cinderpelt snapped. "There's other wounded that need help to, I can't just leave them to die!"

Firestar's fur bristled with fury, "If Sandstorm dies it'll be on your conscience!" He spat. Before Cinderpelt could reply he flew by her, headed for the ThunderClan camp.

…

"Sandstorm? Sandstorm!" Firestar stood over the unconscious form of his mate. She was curled up in a nest in the medicine cat's den. He could barely recognize her, her side was covered in claw marks. The slight rise and fall of her chest calmed Firestar slightly, but not much.

Cinderpelt stood behind him, and spoke for the first time. "I'm sorry, I wish there was more that I could do for her."

Firestar faced Cinderpelt and forced a slight smile, "I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier, I know that you've done everything you can."

Cinderpelt shrugged, "I suppose."

"How much longer do you think she has?"

The medicine cat's eyes darkened, "I doubt that she'll make it through the night."

Her words pierced him, and Firestar couldn't help but cringe. "Do you think you could leave us alone for the night?" He whispered, his voice hoarse.

Cinderpelt nodded and began to back out of the den. She gave Firestar one last sad look over her shoulder and murmured, "Goodbye Sandstorm, it was an honor to serve this Clan with you."

Firestar closed his eyes for a moment in a desperate attempt to take it all in. When he woke up in the morning, Sandstorm would be dead. This she-cat who had so suddenly captivated his mind was about to be suddenly snatched up forever. _Just like Spottedleaf._

He curled up next to Sandstorm in the nest, and for a brief moment he simply took her in; her warmth, her scent, her soft pelt brushed up against him. _StarClan, why are you taking her away from me? _He wondered. And yet StarClan offered him no answer. Like always.

Firestar pressed up closer against Sandstorm and realized for the first time how truly exhausted he was. The battle had taken it's toll on him. "I love you Sandstorm. I will _always _love you," he whispered softly before closing his eyes.

…

"Firestar, you have to let her go."

Firestar stood in a large clearing in some unfamiliar territory. He was dreaming, and some cat was speaking to him. He recognized that voice. He whipped around angrily. "No I don't!" He growled. "Spottedleaf, why are you taking her away from me?"

The tortoiseshell she-cat hesitated momentarily and Firestar continued, "I love her, Spottedleaf! Not you. I'm sorry that things couldn't work out between us, but I moved on and Sandstorm is my mate now! Please, can't you help me save her?"

Spottedleaf's eyes misted up now, and Firestar felt bad for how he'd spoken to her, but he couldn't help it, she was taking Sandstorm away from him! "I'm sorry Firestar, I wish I could help you, I really do! But I can't. Sandstorm's time has come, and you need to accept that!"

"You'll have to kill me eight more times before I let you take her!" Firestar snarled.

"Oh Firestar," Spottedleaf whispered, "I'm sorry that this has to happen to you, but that's how life works. The same happened when I died, it seemed so unfair, didn't it?"

Firestar's rage dissipated at her words as he remembered back to his early days in the forest, when he was enamored with the she-cat standing before him. She was his first love, until she'd been brutally murdered. "It was very unfair," he murmured.

Spottedleaf took a step toward him, eyes sparkling. "All the time I find myself wondering: If only I hadn't chose the life of a medicine cat, perhaps things would be different now," Her eyes grew soft, "I never stopped watching over you, I waited for moons, hoping that somehow we would be reunited. And even after all of this time I still have the same feelings for you, just as passionately as when I was living. I love you Firestar. I will _always _love you."

The familiar words shocked Firestar out of his nostalgic mood and he scampered backwards. "No, no this is wrong! I love Sandstorm, you're in the past. I moved on and did what I had to."

"You can't pretend like I don't exist!" Spottedleaf protested.

Firestar shrugged, "I'm sorry Spottedleaf, but you're dead."

Her eyes darkened, "And Sandstorm will be soon as well."

"I can't believe how selfish you're being! I don't know what I ever saw in you!" Firestar hissed and tore out of the clearing.

Spottedleaf watched him and bowed her head miserably. "I tried my best," she muttered.

"You're best wasn't enough," a voice growled from the bushes. "Nevertheless, Sandstorm's time has come, we're headed to the border to collect her now."

Spottedleaf nodded. _I'm sorry Firestar, I really hate doing this to you._

…

Firestar was suddenly awakened when Sandstorm began shaking violently. She jerked to the side and coughed out a clot of blood. Firestar leapt to his feet and ran through the lichen covering the medicine cat's den. The moon shone overhead, and stars filled the sky overlooking the camp. "Cinderpelt! Come quickly! Cinderpelt!" He glanced over at the warriors' den, cats began piling out slowly. His pulse quickened when he caught site of Cinderpelt groggily trudging out of the den.

"What's the matter?" She asked him, and attempted to rub the sleep out of her eyes.

Firestar was panicking, "It's Sandstorm, she's gotten worse!"

Cinderpelt frowned, "I'll see what I can do."

Firestar nodded and began to head towards the medicine cat den. "She woke me up this morning, she was shaking really badly and started to cough up blood."

Cinderpelt nodded but said nothing.

"Sandstorm?" Firestar called out tentatively as he stepped into the den.

Sandstorm was still curled up in the nest, but blood now pooled next to her. Her breathing was shallow.

"Perhaps we should just put her out of her misery," Cinderpelt suggested.

Firestar shook his head rapidly, "No! We can save her!"

Cinderpelt frowned, "Firestar, there's nothing that I can do..."

"Then I'll save her."

Cinderpelt rolled, "Why do you have to be so stubborn?" She muttered.

Firestar chose to ignore her. Instead he lay down next to Sandstorm again and closed his eyes. He slowed his breathing, and tried to calm his mind. _For Sandstorm's sake I hope this works!_

Firestar began to slip from consciousness and the familiar blackness engulfed him.

…

Firestar opened his eyes, and froze for a moment at the sight before him. Sandstorm stood next to a line of unfamiliar StarClan cats, an unsure expression on her face. "I'm not sure I'm ready for this," she was saying.

"Sandstorm!" Firestar called out desperately.

Sandstorm turned around and looked puzzled. "Firestar? What are you doing here?"

Firestar started forward, completely aware of the angry glares he received from the StarClan warriors, but he ignored them. "I've come to take you back home," he tried his hardest to sound calm and confident. But before he could brush pelts with his mate he was halted.

"Stop!" A voice boomed. A massive ginger tom stopped forward from the line. His gaze blazed down on Firestar. "Firestar, I am the founder of your Clan, Thunder. I order you to leave this place at once, and to allow Sandstorm to come with us."

Staring up at the much larger cat Firestar hesitated, and briefly considered obeying Thunder. But he couldn't. He had no choice. "No."

Thunder's pelt bristled with anger. "I thought of you as a wise cat before, but now I'm aware that you're no more than a fool who has no control over his emotions!" He spat. "Are you willing to die to prevent her from joining our ranks? Because we are prepared to fight for her."

"Why?" Firestar cried. "Why do you have to take her away from me?"

"We have no say in this," Thunder answered. "Sandstorm's death was written in the stars a long time ago, there is nothing that you can do to save her. _Nothing_."

"The stars are wrong!" Firestar argued.

Gasps and nervous whisperings broke out among the cats standing behind Thunder. "Silence!" He roared. "Sandstorm is coming with us, now!"

"No!" Firestar leapt between Thunder and Sandstorm and bared his teeth.

Thunder launched himself at Firestar without hesitation. He easily knocked Firestar over and pinned him. Thunder grinned wickedly, "You should have taken my advice." He raised a paw, claws unsheathed.

"No!" A tortoiseshell blur crashed into Thunder and knocked him off Firestar. Firestar quickly got up, bewildered. "Spottedleaf?"

Spottedleaf looked over at him, "Please, Firestar, you have to get out of here!" She begged. "Take Sandstorm and run! Now!"

Firestar obeyed her, and Sandstorm filed in behind him. The forest flashed by him as he ran. _How could everything go wrong so quickly? _He couldn't help but stop for a moment, and take one last glance back at Spottedleaf. He saw Thunder towering over her, the large tom lifted a paw and slashed her throat. Spottedleaf collapsed to the ground, blood pooled around her for a moment, and then she simply disappeared. _No, please... Anything but this. Dear StarClan..._ And yet it was StarClan that had inflicted this upon him, wasn't it?"

"Firestar, Firestar!" Sandstorm was crying out to him, but he could barely make out what she was saying. Everything around him suddenly felt surreal. Had he really just watched Spottedleaf disappear forever? But she'd promised that they would be together again in StarClan! Firestar's felt sick to the stomach, how could he ever return to StarClan? He turned to face Sandstorm, and she was motioning forward towards the an area of light. He nodded, though he could barely see it. Tears filled his eyes, and spilled to the ground as he trudged forward.

…

"Firestar," He awoke to Cinderpelt, shaking him. "You have to get out of here now!" She was frantic.

Next to Firestar, Sandstorm stirred. Cinderpelt stared at her, eyes wide. "Oh Firestar, what have you done?" She whispered.

"I saved her, no thanks to the StarClan cats!"

Cinderpelt shook her head sadly, "StarClan just to spoke to me concerning you and Sandstorm. And... well, you're not safe here. You have to leave. Now."

"What?" Firestar exclaimed, "That's ridiculous! This is my Clan, I can't just leave them!"

"Not anymore," Cinderpelt replied, "StarClan's disowned you."

"Firestar, I really think we should leave." Sandstorm spoke for the first time.

Firestar sighed. "Fine. But where will we go?"

"You could go live with Ravenpaw and Barley," Cinderpelt suggested. "Who knows, maybe this will blow over and you'll be able to return someday."

Firestar nodded. "Perhaps." He turned to Sandstorm. "Are you sure you want to do this? We're about to leave everything we know behind."

"We don't have a choice."

…

Firestar took one last final glance over the Clan territories. He and Sandstorm were just leaving WindClan territory. Would this be the last time he ever saw the Clans?

"I'm sorry, this is all my fault." Sandstorm muttered bitterly. "You really should have just let me die."

Firestar pressed against her affectionately. "Don't talk like that! I made the right decision, and I'll stand by it. Even if it means losing everything I know, and leaving all my close friends." The sun was setting now, and it cast a warm, orange glow over the rising hills. "This experience has opened my eyes. Look at how far we've come, we conquered BloodClan, and then death, and evenStarClan! We overcame our destinies, and rewrote our story. It left me wondering how any of this is even possible. But I think I know the answer now," he paused. "Love. I've come to realize that love can defeat any enemy. No matter how daunting they may appear. Regardless of how terrifying any situation is or how hopeless we may feel when times are tough, we can always rely on love. I love you Sandstorm, I truly love you. And I want you to never forget that: _True love will never fail."_

**I figured I'd give you all a more action packed story with a happy ending this time because of the 100 reviews. Thank you all again so much! I hope you enjoyed, make sure you leave a review and tell me what you thought of it! :) **


	18. Brambleclaw and Leafpool

**In response to your reviews:**

**Wyldclaw: Yes it was!**

**lavi0123: Can't promise I'll ever actually get around to it, but it's on my list!**

**Nona4ever Snakeshadow: Thank you! And sure I can!**

** Another new chapter uploaded the day _after my last one__? _I know, it's pretty crazy! I've actually taken an online challenge for Camp NaNoWriMo where I have to write 50,000 words this month! The idea is to write a novel in a single month. I've decided to write more of this story for the challenge! If any of you are interested in learning more you can message me about it! **

**So that means you guys are gonna be getting a LOT of updates this month! I hope you enjoy them :3**

**Brambleclaw and Leafpool**

"You lied to me!" Brambleclaw snarled, his pelt bristling with rage.

Squirrelflight faced him, and didn't react to his harsh accusations. Her green eyes that usually blazed during their arguments were calm. She wore a tired look on her face, "I only lied to protect my sister and her kits."

"Then you should have let me in on it!" Brambleclaw shot back. Something within him protested, he shouldn't do this to Squirrelflight. She'd been lied to enough. Even now she didn't know the entire truth, no cat could ever know.

Squirrelflight sighed, "You're right. I should have, I'm sorry. Can we please just stop fighting?"

_Be convincing, _Brambleclaw mentally reminded himself. He had to convince her that he was so deeply hurt that he could never forgive her. Of course he had no real feelings of anger towards Squirrelflight, only some pity. "I agree, we need to stop fighting. Because I'm done with you Squirrelflight." The words sounded colder than he'd expected.

Squirrelflight recoiled at his words, clearly she bought them. _StarClan forgive me,_ he thought, but his expression remained grim.

"Brambleclaw, please, I'm sorry!" She tried to keep her composure, but her eyes gave her away. They widened, and Brambleclaw could practically see the desperation. She smelled of fear.

"No!" He spat. "I can never forgive you for this!" His pelt was bristling, and he instinctively unsheathed his claws. He was surprised at how easily he was able to fake his emotions. Then again, Squirrelflight had done the same.

He'd known the entire time that she was lying, and yet Squirrelflight's act was so convincing that he at times he would almost begin to believe that she really was the kits' mother. Of course that was ridiculous, but still, the love that she showed for them was incredible. She'd played the role perfectly. Part of him envied her ability to so effortlessly put on such a convincing act. But he was doing the same to her wasn't he? The only difference was she had no idea.

Squirrelflight's eyes were misting up now and she finally snapped, "You think that this was only difficult for you? What about me? This has _ruined _me! And what about Lionblaze, Jayfeather and Hollyleaf? Your selfishness is tearing our family further apart!"

Brambleclaw resisted the urge to smile. Regardless of how he really felt about Squirrelflight, he had to admit that he admired her spunk. She was quite the sight, with her ginger fur ruffled and her eyes blazing. He couldn't think of another cat as passionate as her. He briefly considered telling her the truth, but pushed the foolish notion away almost immediately. "What family?"

She exploded at that comment. "_How dare you!" _She yowled, and crouched down, as if she were going to pounce at him. She bared her teeth at him. "I don't care what you say, they may not be your kits by blood, but they're still your family!"

Brambleclaw chuckled inwardly. _If only you knew. _He chose not to say anything, and instead closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, pretending to make an attempt at calming himself. He was surprised at how quiet the forest was. The usual sounds of prey scuttling about were nonexistent. It was deadly silent. Their fighting had likely scared off any nearby prey. He couldn't hear any nearby cats either. Good. He didn't want any cat overhearing their fighting. Though his words were all fabricated, he didn't want others to have a bad opinion of him. After all, he was ThunderClan's deputy. _And hopefully future leader. _

When he opened his eyes, Squirrelflight was gone. _I should probably go pick up some prey, wouldn't want to return to camp empty pawed. _He stalked forward through the woods as silently as he could. It didn't take long until the woods were alive with the sounds of prey once again. He quickly located a lone mouse under a large pine tree. Brambleclaw dropped down into the hunter's crouch that he'd been taught as an apprentice and began to slowly and quietly creep across the forest floor.

_How could you do this to Squirrelflight? _An accusing voice boomed in his head out of nowhere.

_Snap!_

Brambleclaw stopped. The mouse darted away into a bramble thicket. He looked down in bewilderment at the stick that he'd just stepped on and snapped.

"Foxdung!" He spat bitterly. How could he be so careless? He shook his head to clear it. _Come on, focus! _He was the deputy for StarClan's sake, not some inexperienced apprentice!

He continued forward, more determined now. But he soon lost focus on his surroundings, and his thoughts once again crashed over him.

_You live a life of lies..._

_ Squirrelflight deserves better than you..._

Brambleclaw crashed down to the ground and let out a cry. "_StarClan help me!" _But the voices in his head were right, he was a terrible cat. He was undeserving of being saved by StarClan. He tried to struggle to his feet, but he couldn't find the strength. He had to go see her! She would calm his nerves and reassure him that everything would be alright.

"Well, well, well," A low growl snapped Brambleclaw back into reality. He gazed up into the eyes of a brown tom with a scar running down his back. "What's ThunderClan's deputy doing trespassing on ShadowClan's territory, hm?"

The voices continued once again and the world around Brambleclaw turned blurry and began spinning. He could barely make the cat out, "I-I'm sorry Ratscar."

"'Sorry' isn't going to cut it," Ratscar hissed, and lashed out at Brambleclaw knocking him over.

Brambleclaw crashed to the ground, but surprisingly he didn't feel any pain. His vision was fading and Brambleclaw welcomed it, anything to take him away from this. Ratscar advanced on him once again and pounced.

Everything faded to black.

…

"Ratscar stop! What are you doing!?" The furious cries of Littlecloud brought Brambleclaw back into consciousness. He looked around and took in the scene, he was sprawled out on the ground, the surrounding area was covered in blood and the stench of it filled the air. Whose blood was that? Was it his? A sudden wave of pain hit him, and Brambleclaw recoiled. He'd been in many fights before and suffered some nasty wounds, but this was worse, so much worse... He cried out, but couldn't form any words.

Littlecloud was immediately next to him, trying to calm him. "It's alright Brambleclaw, I'm here now," he pressed a cobweb into Brambleclaw's bloodstained side. Searing pain shot through his body and Brambleclaw cried out again.

"Ratscar go to the ThunderClan camp and fetch Leafpool," Littlecloud ordered.

Ratscar hesitated briefly.

"Now!" Littlecloud snapped, and he obeyed. Littlecloud turned once again to Brambleclaw, "You'll be fine," he soothed, "Leafpool will be here soon, you'll be fine."

_Leafpool? _ "I, I need to see Leafpool," he stammered.

Littlecloud nodded, "I know, she'll be here soon, everything's alright now."

Brambleclaw was tired, so very tired. But he couldn't rest his eyes! He needed to see Leafpool, she was coming to save him! She would make everything better, just like she always did.

"Brambleclaw!" Leafpool gasped. She rushed over to his side and pressed up against him.

Brambleclaw smiled weakly, "Hi, Leafpool."

Littlecloud pressed another cobweb into Brambleclaw's side, "We have to stop the bleeding!" He sounded frantic.

Leafpool nodded, "Of course," She applied another one. "Just stay with us Brambleclaw."

Watching her go to work Brambleclaw couldn't help but smile. _Wow, she is beautiful._He opened his mouth to tell her so, but the darkness took over once again.

…

Leafpool stood in her den and stared at Brambleclaw. He looked awful, claw marks covered his sides. He'd lost a lot of blood, it's a good thing she'd shown up when she did. If she hadn't... well she didn't want to think about that. He'd awoken only once and had started shaking and crying out in pain. She'd force fed him some herbs to calm him and ease the pain, and he'd drifted off to sleep again. She wished there was more she could do for him, but there wasn't. He would be in a lot of pain for the next few days, but he was lucky just to be alive. "Oh Brambleclaw," she murmured. "How do you manage to get into all this trouble?"

Squirrelflight had stopped by earlier and told her all about an argument she'd had with Brambleclaw, and Leafpool had feigned shock at his cruel words. She knew that Brambleclaw was only acting. She hadn't necessarily lied to Squirrelflight, but she still felt awful about it. Leafpool was painfully aware that Brambleclaw had lied on her behalf, and she was so grateful that he had, but she wasn't sure that she could live this lie anymore. Squirrelflight deserved to know, and her kits deserved to know as well.

Leafpool took one last glance at Brambleclaw before leaving her den. She made her way over to the warriors' den and peered in, "Squirrelflight?" She called softly.

She saw the form of her sister rise to her paws and make her way over, "What is it?" She asked, obviously irritated to be woken up from her nap.

Leafpool shifted uncomfortably, "I need to talk to you about something."

Squirrelflight's eyes narrowed, "Does it have to do with Brambleclaw?"

Leafpool nodded, "Sort of."

"Fine," Squirrelflight grunted. "I'll meet you down by the lake in a bit."

Leafpool retreated from the den, and started towards the camp entrance. How would Squirrelflight react when she told her the truth? Not in a positive way, that was for sure. Leafpool sighed heavily.

Cloudtail was keeping guard at the entrance, "Everything alright there Leafpool?" He asked.

"Yes," she replied quickly and hurried forward before Cloudtail could ask her anymore questions. When she was a safe distance into the forest she relaxed a little, but not much. Everything was about to change, once again. She had to tell the truth though, Squirrelflight was her sister for StarClan's sake!

_ Squirrelflight would never do this to you_, Leafpool realized and felt all the more guilty for her actions. It began to dawn on her how bad of a cat she had been. _You are so selfish! _She scolded herself. _You better hope StarClan takes mercy on you for what you've done!_

Up ahead she could faintly make out the silhouette of Squirrelflight sitting on the lake shore. Leafpool inhaled nervously, _here goes nothing!_

"Hey," she greeted her sister.

Squirrelflight didn't resemble her earlier self at all, she was awake and energized now. "Hey!" She smiled warmly. "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Leafpool gulped nervously, "I... I haven't exactly been honest with you."

Squirrelflight looked confused, as if she couldn't believe her sister would ever tell a lie. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Leafpool continued, "You remember how I told you that Crowfeather was the father of my kits?"

Squirrelflight gasped, eyes wide. "What? He isn't?" She paused for a moment to think, "Who is it? Don't tell me it was Ashfur!"

Leafpool shivered at the thought, "No!" She batted at Squirrelflight playfully, "That's gross! You know I'd never go for him!"

Squirrelflight's eyes shone mischievously, "I know, I was only teasing you. Who is it then?"

Leafpool froze for a moment. Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea after all, maybe she should just lie. Did Squirrelflight really need to know anyway? It's not like it would be helpful. _You have to __tell her! You owe it to her. _"It's..."

Squirrelflight leaned forward in anticipation, "Well?"

Leafpool stared down at her paws in shame. "Brambleclaw." She whispered, and continued to stare down at the ground, unable to meet her sisters eyes.

Both cats were silent, so Leafpool lifted her gaze. Squirrelflight's jaw was open and her eyes were wide. "I-I'm sorry," she stuttered dumbly.

"How long has this been going on?" Squirrelflight asked her voice hoarse, she was still clearly in shock.

Leafpool felt sick to the stomach. "A long time. Moons."

"So it was all a lie then?" Squirrelflight took a step backward. "His relationship with me was just a cover up?" The realization was too much for Squirrelflight, she looked completely lost. The cat she had loved for so long actually was in love with her sister. Leafpool had never seen Squirrelflight look so defeated before. Her heart broke for her sister, _I didn't mean to do this to you!_

"I should've told you," Leafpool apologized, "I don't know what I was thinking."

"You weren't thinking!" Squirrelflight snarled, she was on the offensive now. Her pelt was bristling, and Leafpool could practically feel the fury coming from her glare. "I thought I could trust you! You're my sister for StarClan's sake, how could you do this?"

Leafpool dipped her head in shame, "I'm sorry," she repeated, but she knew that her apology meant nothing. She'd betrayed her.

"I don't care if you're sorry!" Squirrelflight snapped, "I'm done with you!" She stormed off, leaving Leafpool alone.

_You're a terrible cat, _Leafpool thought miserably. The only thing she could do now is give Squirrelflight space, and hope that some day she would be able to forgive her. Leafpool was doubtful that Squirrelflight would ever trust her again though. She'd made an awful mistake, and she could never take it back.

Leafpool lifted her eyes to the night sky. The stars shimmered brightly in the sky, and their reflections were painted in the lake. Leafpool knew her ancestors were up there in the stars, looking down on her and probably judging her for what she'd done. She shook her head sadly, "Was it worth it?" She asked herself out loud.

_It's incredible how something so trivial as romance can destroy relationships just as easily as it reinforces them. _

**Thanks for reading! Leave me a review with a suggestion for a pairing/your opinion of this chapter! :) **


	19. Jayfeather and Briarlight

**In response to your reviews:**

**Guest: I guess... ;)**

**Featherstar22: I will gladly add them to my list of suggested pairings!**

**Snowwolf7145: That's probably my most asked for pairing, I'll probably get around to it sometime soon!**

**Well, not much to say here. I changed the story title/description because I felt like it was a little boring. Does anyone really care? If you really want the old title back, leave me an angry review/PM complaining about it. Um, yeah... Enjoy this new chapter!**

**Jayfeather and Briarlight**

Briarlight hadn't stopped talking the entire walk home, and they were just now arriving back at the medicine cat's den. The rest of the camp was silent, most of the other cats were in their dens asleep. Jayfeather had just finished with Briarlight's ceremony that officially made her his apprentice. Though it was late he didn't feel tired. The ceremony had been a rush for him; the whole thing was quite surreal. He'd known that one day he'd eventually have to get an apprentice but actually performing the ceremony was strange and it made him feel ancient. But feeling the mixed emotions of happiness and nervousness roll off of Briarlight was a strange kind of rush. She was still rambling on, "At first I was worried that the others wouldn't accept me because I'm not normal," she was saying, "But I was surprised at how nice they all were!"

Jayfeather snorted, "I'm blind, Leafpool had kits with Crowfeather, Cinderpelt was a cripple that got reincarnated and Yellowfang was a grouchy old outcast from ShadowClan. ThunderClan hasn't had a 'normal' medicine cat in moons."

Briarlight chuckled at that, "I guess that's true." She was panting slightly. A few moons had passed since the battle with the Dark Forest cats and she had become much stronger since. She now was able to drag herself along the forest and keep up with cats at a light pace, and was able to drag herself over obstacles. The entire time Jayfeather had been by her side, patiently helping her through her exercises and offering encouragement when she needed it. He had to admit that he'd grown quite fond of her recently. He couldn't help but admire her drive and perseverance. Given her circumstances he would've probably just given up, and lived out the rest of his days as a miserable elder constantly complaining about one thing or another. But not Briarlight, she was too determined for that.

"It's crazy to think that I'm now a medicine cat apprentice," she continued. "I was always so sure that I'd grow up to a great warrior someday. Maybe even deputy, or leader some day," she smiled, but Jayfeather could feel a slight pang of sadness. He could sympathize with her there, he too had often dreamt of being a warrior, but what use is a blind warrior?

"Well, if it's any consolation, I'm glad that you decided to become my apprentice." Immediately after the words tumbled out of his mouth Jayfeather regretted them. What a corny thing to say!

Briarlight didn't respond at first, most likely surprised by his uncharacteristic comment. "Me too."

Jayfeather felt a wave of embarrassment rush of over him, and he couldn't help but blush slightly. _You're making a fool out of yourself, get it together! _He cleared his throat, "Yes well, we'd better get to work now. I'm pretty sure the herbs need sorting."

"Right now?" She asked, confused. "It's the middle of the night."

"Well, I apologize for not knowing that because _I'm blind_," he retorted angrily.

More confusion. "Um, I'm sorry?"

"I'm going to sleep now," he muttered. "You should too, in case you didn't know, it's night. Apparently." He stalked off to his nest without another word. _Smooth._

…

Jayfeather sniffed at leaves before him suspiciously. "It's dock," he confirmed and flicked his tail. "Make sure you grab some of it, Briarlight."

She complied but said nothing. Jayfeather could practically taste the awkwardness in the air, but he chose to ignore it. He and Briarlight had barely spoken since their encounter last night. He'd considered apologizing, but decided it would be better to just put the incident behind them.

They continued their search for more useful herbs. The supplies back at camp were running low; granted it was greenleaf and that meant that sickness wouldn't be too much of an issue but battle wounds were quite common, whether they came from skirmishes on the border or training a little too hard. So far things had been peaceful since the battle with the Dark Forest, but that was to be expected. The Clans had a way of rising together when a threat presented itself, but borders were borders and eventually they would be fighting again. Jayfeather rolled his eyes, generations of Clan cats had come and gone and they still hadn't learned how to coexist peacefully. _You're surrounded by mousebrains, __you can't expect them to have common sense! _

Briarlight stopped ahead of him abruptly and Jayfeather nearly stepped on her. He stumbled back awkwardly, "What're you doing?" He demanded.

He could feel the anger swelling up in Briarlight, but then it dissipated. "Why don't you watch where you're going!" She returned with mock anger. "Oh, wait... My bad," she apologized sarcastically.

Jayfeather tensed up at her comment.

"Oh come on Jayfeather, lighten up! I'm only teasing you!" Briarlight swiped at him affectionately. "Quit being such a grump."

"I'll quit being a grump when you quit wasting time," he muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

Jayfeather sighed, exasperated. Yet, he wasn't really upset was he? Perhaps it was because her words had some truth to them. Maybe he should let loose a little...

He heard Briarlight heave forward, and was caught by surprise when a moss ball crashed into his face. _What in StarClan's name?_ Briarlight snickered, "Oops, sorry about that."

Jayfeather's fought the urge to snap at her, and instead scooped the moss ball up. _Let's see how you like it! _He flung it back in her general direction, and was satisfied that he'd hit her when she cried out, "Hey!"

Briarlight fired back at him, and the two were suddenly engaged in a moss war. They battled for a while, until Jayfeather collapsed next to Briarlight, exhausted. "You win," he panted.

Briarlight threw one last moss ball at him, "It's pretty sad that you just lost to a cat with only two legs!"

Jayfeather rolled his eyes, "No, it's sad that a blind cat was able to hit you."

"What? You're blind?" Briarlight replied sarcastically. "I hadn't noticed before!"

Jayfeather tried to think of a witty comeback, but decided to not say anything. Instead he just lay there and closed his eyes. The oddity of what had just happened struck him then. Had he really just play fought with Briarlight? Great StarClan, that was so unlike him! He'd been acting strange around Briarlight recently. _What is it about her that causes me to act this way? _He wondered. If any other cat had flung moss at him he would've growled at them angrily for acting like a kit. But when Briarlight did it, it was kinda... Cute.

Next to him, Briarlight rolled over until she was pressed up against him. He froze momentarily, unsure of what to do. Her touch was like electricity, it frightened him, and yet at the same time he felt an adrenaline rush. He was reminded of the feeling he got when he'd been around Halfmoon. The mention of the white she-cat's name made Jayfeather feel uncomfortable. He missed her desperately. But laying here with Briarlight he felt as if he could perhaps forget Halfmoon, and all of his other problems for a moment.

Briarlight sighed happily, and snuggled even closer against him. Her embrace felt warm, and inviting and Jayfeather gave in to it. He realized at that moment how much he had longed for Briarlight, and now here they were, pressed up against one another. Oh how he wished this moment would last forever!

Neither of them said anything, and it was better that way. The forest around them, usually alive with noise, was surprisingly quiet. It didn't take long until Jayfeather noticed that Briarlight's breathing had slowed, and that she was asleep. It had been quite some time since he had used his powers to enter another cat's dream, and even then he usually only used it to snoop, but he couldn't help himself. He slowed his own breathing to match her's, and forced his way into her dream.

Jayfeather's eyes were opened, and he knew that he had successfully entered Briarlight's dream. He was standing in the middle of the forest in ThunderClan territory. He inhaled deeply, searching for Briarlight's scent. He quickly picked it up, and followed the trail in the direction of the WindClan border.

He was quickly approaching the training hollow, and he could hear her up ahead. He peered into the hollow cautiously, not wanting to be seen.

Briarlight was in the clearing sparing with another cat! She was crouched down, standing on all fours! For a heartbeat Jayfeather felt like crying out thanks to StarClan, Briarlight had been healed! But then he remembered: this was only a dream. His heart sunk, and he felt sad. Of course she would be healthy in her dream! _At least she's able to escape reality for a little while. _He wondered why she was sparing with the other cat, it was a light brown tabby she-cat with stars mingled in her fur. Jayfeather recognized her almost immediately. _Honeyfern! What's she doing here with Briarlight? _

Honeyfern was grappling with Briarlight, but tossed her to the side and stood up. "Alright, that's good. We can be done for now."

Briarlight jumped up quickly, her eyes shining happily. "How did I do?"

"Very good," Honeyfern answered. "I'm impressed with how quickly you're learning."

Briarlight straightened at the compliment, similar to how an apprentice would react to praise from her mentor.

"Let's practice some hunting now," Honeyfern continued. _She's living out the life that she's always longed for, _Jayfeather realized. _The life of a warrior._

"Jayfeather, you shouldn't be snooping on her." Spottedleaf's soft voice spooked Jayfeather and he nearly jumped. He spun around and faced her, his fur hot with embarrassment. "I-I can explain," he stuttered.

Spottedleaf's ears flicked in amusement. "No need. Actually, I came here because I needed to talk to you."

_Oh great, what now?_ "Is there some kind of evil threatening ThunderClan?" He demanded.

Spottedleaf shook her head. "No, not this time," she chuckled. "StarClan wants to reward you for saving the Clans."

Jayfeather's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? You sure you don't want to boss me around, deliver a prophecy or scold me about something first?"

Spottedleaf rolled her eyes. "Just be grateful. This kind of thing that happen very often."

_You could say that again. _But Spottedleaf didn't deserve his sarcasm. She'd actually been quite nice to him over the moons. He nodded. "Alright, what is this reward then?"

"I was discussing it with Bluestar, and she said that you might like to have your eyesight restored." Spottedleaf answered.

Jayfeather stared at her as if she'd just suggested that he go stick his head into the nearest pile of dirt. "_What?"_ He exclaimed. His anger began to build up, "You're telling me that you've always had the ability to give me sight but you chose not to?"

Spottedleaf hesitated, "Not necessarily, no. But StarClan isn't as powerless as you'd like to think."

Jayfeather shook his head in disbelief. "Unbelievable," he grumbled.

Spottedleaf had a look of mock confusion on her face, "I guess if you're not interested-"

"No!" Jayfeather practically shouted as he interrupted her.

"Good." Spottedleaf purred. "I take it you're interested then?"

An idea suddenly came to Jayfeather. "On second thought, how about"

…

"Jayfeather wake up!" Some cat shook him and Jayfeather was blind once again.

"What is it?" He mumbled groggily.

"I-I don't know how to explain it, but I'm better!" Briarlight could barely contain her excitement.

"What do you mean?" He demanded. But he already knew what she meant, he just wanted to hear her say at.

"I can walk!" She exclaimed, and then yowled, "I can walk!"

"Thank StarClan," Jayfeather breathed.

"What's going on? Is everything alright?" Graystripe's voice called distantly.

"Yes! Everything's amazing!" Briarlight called back happily.

"Briarlight? What... How?" The sight of his previously-crippled daughter must have been a little much for Graystripe to take in. "Praise StarClan, it's a miracle!"

"Sure, give StarClan all the credit. Let's not give any credit to the medicine cat that's spent the last moons going over exercises with her."

Graystripe sounded puzzled. "But I thought you said she'd never walk again?"

"_Probably _never walk again," Jayfeather corrected him. "I forgot to take into account the fact that her recovery was being overseen by the most gifted medicine cat ThunderClan's ever had."

"Um," Graystripe wasn't sure how to respond.

"Jayfeather's only teasing," Briarlight reassured her father.

Jayfeather snorted, "Whatever."

For an awkward moment, no cat said anything. Then Graystripe broke the silence, "We should head back to camp immediately and deliver the good news!"

"Jayfeather and I will catch up with you in a while," Briarlight told him.

Graystripe grunted, but didn't say anything more and headed back in the direction of the camp.

"Oh Jayfeather, isn't this amazing?" Briarlight was elated.

Jayfeather nodded, "I'm very happy for you," he replied warmly. "Now you can live out the life of a warrior, like you always wanted."

Briarlight paused, as if the fact had just dawned on her. But she quickly replied, "Nah, that's alright. I think I'd rather stay a medicine cat."

Jayfeather was taken aback by her response. "Are you sure?" He asked, bewildered.

"Of course I'm sure, mousebrain!" She nudged him affectionately. "I don't think the Warrior life is all it's made out to be."

_You don't really feel that way, _Jayfeather was skeptical.

"Besides," she continued, sensing his disbelief. "If I became a warrior I wouldn't be your apprentice anymore, and then I wouldn't get to be around you as much."

Jayfeather chuckled at that comment, "Yes, you're the envy of the entire camp."

Her tone grew serious, "I mean it, Jayfeather." She brushed up against him, and that same electric feeling from earlier returned to him. "There's not another cat that I'd rather be around."

**I actually quite enjoyed writing this one! It was nice writing Jayfeather's character once again, it's kinda like writing myself! Leave me a review and tell me if you liked it or not! :) **


	20. Stormfur and Squirrelpaw

**In response to your reviews:**

**Wyldclaw: Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it! :)**

**Guest: Thanks! I used to be a big fan of CrowxLeaf but now I'm not too sure... :/**

**Stormfur and Squirrelpaw**

Stormfur sat alone on the rocky ledge, deep in thought. In the distance the sun was setting, casting an orange glow over the mountainside. From his vantage point he could see the Tribe's cave and the territory that they used for hunting. It would be dangerous for most cats to sit alone outside for long, but Stormfur's dark gray fur blended in with the rocks and helped to camouflage him from any possible predators.

The six of them had arrived at the Tribe just the day before. Stormfur, Brambleclaw, Squirrelpaw, Crowpaw, Feathertail and Tawnypelt were all on a journey to save the Clans. How... Well, they weren't exactly sure about that quite yet. But to be entirely truthful, Stormfur was beginning to lose faith. The whole thing was starting to seem kind of pointless to him. _How can whatever we find at this sun-drown-place possibly be any use to us back in the forest?_

The entire journey so far had been frustrating. They'd spent most of their time arguing with one another about practically everything. He would have gone crazy if it weren't for Squirrelpaw. He admired her for her spunk, though she was often scolded for blurting things out without thinking. She was as stubborn as a badger and had the same temperament! Stormfur didn't mind that though, Squirrelpaw was simply just a passionate cat!

He had to admit that he'd grown very fond of her as of late, but that was alright. _There's nothing wrong with having friends in other Clans! _He told himself, but he wasn't entirely sure that he was content just being friends with Squirrelpaw. _Cats need to find mates in their own Clans. Your own father didn't take that advice and look how that ended! _

Stormfur's father Graystripe; a ThunderClan warrior, had made the mistake of falling for a RiverClan she-cat. Their secret romance lasted a little while, until Stormfur's mother, Silverstream, became pregnant with Graystripe's kits. A few moons later Silverstream died while giving birth to Stormfur and Silverstream. Her kits were given to RiverClan, and Graystripe decided to live with them some time in the RiverClan camp, but then ended up returning to his own Clan. Both of his kits grew up without really knowing or getting to be around either of their parents. Stormfur was grateful that at his father was at least still alive, but it was still difficult for him because he rarely saw him.

The fact that he was half ThunderClan and half RiverClan didn't make life any easier. His Clanmates were never vocally mean about it, but he could feel their judgement, and was often excluded by them. As a result, he and Feathertail had grown up quite isolated from the others. Most of the time it he didn't let it bother him, but sometimes it did. Like right now. He hated admitting it, but he felt lonely. "Why can't I just be normal?" He asked out loud.

Of course it wasn't fair for him to complain about his life. He was actually quite fortunate! There were plenty of cats that would give anything for a life like his, and here he was muttering and grumbling about it. _I suppose I really should be more thankful for the blessings that StarClan has given me. It's just not always so easy to see them._

The sky was beginning to darken, and the orange was melting into a purple. Stars began appearing overhead, and he stared up at them in clusters, captivated by them. He was fairly certain that these stars were the ancestors of the Tribe, and not the same stars that shone in the night sky back at home but they were still a marvelous sight.

Behind him Stormfur heard the sound of claws connecting with loose rocks, "Foxdung!" A voice whispered angrily. Somecat had been spying on him? His anger began building up. "Who's there?" He demanded.

He peered into the darkness, trying to see where the newcomer was but the sun was nearly entirely set now making it difficult to see. He was surprised to see Squirrelpaw step out of the shadows, obviously embarrassed to be caught eavesdropping on him. He felt his rage wash away.

She stared down at her paws, refusing to make eye contact with him. "Sorry Stormfur," she muttered. "I saw you leaving the cave and I was wondering what you were doing, so I followed you up here."

Stormfur flicked his tail dismissively, "It's fine. I'm impressed that you were able to stay up here with me this long without me noticing. Back in the forest I can usually here you stampeding around ThunderClan territory all the way across the river! "

"Hey!" Squirrelpaw complained, but her eyes lit up mischievously at his comment. He relaxed a little as she perked up, more like her usual self. She padded up next to him and took a seat. "Wow," she breathed. "This is quite the sight isn't it?" She gazed into the night sky, "And aren't the stars beautiful?" She echoed his earlier thoughts.

Stormfur nodded his agreement. "I bet they're the ancestors of the Tribe. It makes me wonder if StarClan is still watching over us."

"I'm sure they are," Squirrelpaw reassured him. "They're the ones who sent on this mousebrained quest, they better be watching over us!"

Stormfur chuckled, but didn't say anything more.

After an awkward moment of silence, Squirrelpaw spoke. "I heard what you said earlier, about wanting to be normal," she confessed.

He felt his fur grow hot with embarrassment. "Yeah, um..." He was at a loss for words.

"I totally understand that feeling," Squirrelpaw continued.

Stormfur blinked at her, "You do?"

Squirrelpaw snorted, "Are you kidding me? My father is the great and mighty Firestar," she declared in a mocking tone. "If it's not tough enough having to live up to that, he's also the most overprotective parent _ever. _He's always fretting over me like a queen fretting over her kits!"

Stormfur gave her an odd look. He couldn't really picture Firestar as being the overprotective type. Stormfur had heard plenty of stories of the misadventures that Firestar had been on when he was younger.

"Don't look at me like that, I'm not kidding!" Squirrelpaw protested. "Before we left for this journey he yelled at me just for talking to Brambleclaw! He can't stand me being around him, and I know why. It's because his father is Tigerstar. Isn't that awful?"

Stormfur wasn't exactly bothered by Firestar's attempt at keeping Brambleclaw away from Squirrelpaw. After all, Brambleclaw _was _his only competition for Squirrelpaw. He was tempted to tell her that her father was just looking out for her, but opted not to because he knew she wouldn't react very well to that. Instead he replied, "Wow, that's terrible!"

She rolled her eyes, "He can be a mousebrain at times! But I still love him."

"If it makes you feel any better, my life isn't exactly a walk in StarClan's hunting grounds either," Stormfur muttered.

"That's right, I'd forgotten about Graystripe and Silverstream," Squirrelpaw's green eyes grew sympathetically. "I can't imagine how difficult that must be for you and Feathertail."

"I don't think it's as difficult for Feathertail," Stormfur replied. "She's always been the quiet type. She's content following me around. But it's hard for me because I can always _feel _them watching me, judging me. I feel like I'm constantly trying to prove my worthiness of being a RiverClan warrior to my Clanmates. But they won't accept me, and I honestly doubt they ever will."

Squirrelpaw shrugged, "Who cares what they think of you!"

"That's what I keep trying to tell myself," Stormfur answered, "But it's not that simple. They're my Clanmates, they're supposed to be like family, but my own family won't even support me. It makes me feel worthless."

"Feathertail cares about you," Squirrelpaw pointed out. "If it weren't for you I doubt she'd be able to survive in RiverClan." Her eyes glowed warmly. Stormfur was captivated by them, they cut through the night like two solid beams of green light. Oh how he wished that he could simply lose himself in her eyes. "And if it counts for anything, I think you're a great warrior."

Stormfur looked away sheepishly. "Thanks." The moon was shining brightly now, and stars filled the entire sky. If the scene had been beautiful earlier, it was breathtaking now. "Part of me wonders why bad things have to happen. I mean, did either of us really do anything to deserve anything but a normal life? We're both loyal warriors, neither of us is perfect but we're good cats." He stared into the stars, as if he expected an answer from them. Of course there was none.

Squirrelpaw shrugged. "Honestly, I think that bad things need to happen to us."

_What?_ The notion seemed bizarre to him, and he gave Squirrelpaw a quizzical look. "Do you have bees in your brain?" He asked, only half teasing.

Squirrelpaw batted a paw at him, claws sheathed and he ducked to the side. "No, I don't," she answered. "Look at it this way, if it weren't for the tough times the good times wouldn't be so magical."

Stormfur was surprised by her comment, "That's a pretty wise thing to say." And it was true wasn't it? Had he not been treated poorly by his Clanmates would this discussion with Squirrelpaw be nearly as special? _No. _In fact, it probably never would have happened. He was stunned by the revelation.

"See," Squirrelpaw's eyes sparkled. "I'm not just a sassy furball!"

"No, not at all." Stormfur chuckled. _You're so much more than that._

**Hopefully at least one of you reading this can take something away from it! Leave me a review and tell me what you thought! :)**


	21. Dustpelt and Sandstorm

**In response to your reviews:**

**Wyldclaw: Agreed!**

**Here's another chapter, enjoy! **

**Dustpelt and Sandstorm**

Dustpelt sat alone by himself, finishing off a mouse he'd collected from the fresh-kill pile. He glared across the clearing at Fireheart and Sandstorm who were sitting together sharing tongues. _That should be me over there, sharing tongues with her. _Dustpelt was bitter with jealousy, but he had every right to be jealous! Back in his apprentice days, Dustpelt had been extremely close with Sandstorm. They used to do everything together; training, hunting, patrolling and sharing tongues. Until the day that Fireheart had joined the Clan. At first he and Sandstorm were united against Fireheart, neither of them liked him and they avoided him mostly. Dustpelt still wasn't sure how it had happened, but Fireheart began to gradually win Sandstorm over. Just like that Dustpelt's closest friend was gone, stolen away by a kittypet. Fireheart would eventually grow quite popular among the forest cats, but Dustpelt continued to harbor his hatred for him.

Nowadays Sandstorm was always at Fireheart's side, and it made Dustpelt sick. He acted nonchalant about it, but on the inside it tore him apart. At night he dreamt that Sandstorm had chosen him over Fireheart, the way that things should be. But ever morning he woke up to the nightmare that was reality. It was difficult for him to wrap his mind around, and he had to constantly remind himself: _Sandstorm loves him, not you. You will never mean anything to her again. You'll never feel her warmth or breathe in her sweet scent, you'll never get to tell her how much she means to you or comfort her when she's upset. Instead, Fireheart will get to do all of those things._

How could StarClan do this to him? Dustpelt felt like crying out against this injustice, but that would be pointless. His questions would go unanswered. Sandstorm deserved so much better than Fireheart, she deserved a true warrior, like himself!

Dustpelt couldn't understand how Fireheart could trick Sandstorm into thinking that Fireheart was a suitable mate for her. Didn't she have more self-respect than that? He used to be a kittypet for StarClan's sake! If she had kits with him they would be half kittypet, and wouldn't make suitable warriors anymore than Fireheart himself!

Imagining Sandstorm having kits with Fireheart was a sickening thought, and Dustpelt couldn't stomach it. He grunted as he got to his paws, and stalked off towards the camp entrance. He needed to go sink his claws into something to get his mind off of all this.

"Hey Dustpelt," Fireheart greeted him as he approached. His eyes were friendly, but Dustpelt knew that they were deceptive. Fireheart was trying; and succeeding, to rub Sandstorm in his face. He certainly wasn't trying to _actually _be friendly, Dustpelt had made it painfully obvious numerous times that he wanted nothing to do with Fireheart.

Dustpelt resisted the urge to hiss something back at Fireheart and instead said nothing as he passed the two of them. He wished that he could talk with Sandstorm, but certainly not with Fireheart around.

Sandstorm murmured something to Fireheart as he passed, but he didn't catch it. He continued forward, eyes ahead, trying desperately to shut down his emotions. Just a bit longer and he'd be out in the forest, then things would be better.

"Dustpelt!" Fireheart called out, but Dustpelt ignored him. He pushed through the camp entrance and sighed happily, relieved to have gotten away. He listened for the sound of prey, but heard nothing nearby so he headed out in the direction of Fourtrees. He relaxed a little, more comfortable to be surrounded by trees than his Clanmates. At least trees don't steal your best friend. Not too far way, Dustpelt spotted a squirrel rummaging around at the base of a tree. He dropped into the hunter's crouch and made his way forward slowly. When he was finally only a few fox-lengths away he pounced. The squirrel noticed him, but far too late. Dustpelt scooped the squirrel up swiftly and finished it off with a quick bite to the neck. Warm red blood oozed out of the squirrel's neck.

"Nice catch!" Fireheart called out.

Dustpelt turned on him, eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What are you doing here?"

"I was worried about you, so I decided to follow you out here to make sure everything was alright," Fireheart appeared to be genuinely concerned, but Dustpelt was no fool. He knew for a fact that Fireheart was a master of deception.

"I'm fine," he answered quickly. "I don't see why you'd think otherwise."

Fireheart's eyes were filled with pity, and it infuriated Dustpelt. How dare this kittypet feel bad for him! Was he really that full of himself? "There's no sense pretending, Dustpelt. I know what this is about. Sandstorm."

Dustpelt was shocked that Fireheart brought her up. "Why do you care?" He growled. "You already took her away from me, isn't that enough for you?"

"I didn't mean to take her away from you," Fireheart argued, but then his tone softened. "But I'm sorry that I did. I know that meant a lot to you. It may not be any consolation, but I know for a fact that had you ended up with her that you would've treated her well. You're a good cat, certainly worthy of a she-cat like Sandstorm."

Dustpelt battled with conflicting emotions, why was Fireheart saying these things to him? They made no sense at all! What kind of trickery was he up to? Dustpelt glared at him.

"But," Fireheart continued. "You didn't end up with Sandstorm. I know that's hard for you to accept, but you have to put he behind you Dustpelt! There's other cats out there, and one day you'll find that you care about one special cat just as much as you cared about Sandstorm."

_Lies! _Dustpelt wanted to spit at him, but he couldn't. There was a hint of truth in his words. But he cared for her so badly, they were made for each other! And now Fireheart was trying to drive a wedge between the two of them. Dustpelt couldn't allow that to happen! He dug his claws into the earth. "No," he growled.

"Please Dustpelt," Fireheart begged. "The past is the past, and there's nothing we can do to change it. When Spottedleaf died I would've given anything to go back to save her. Losing her was like losing a part of myself, at the time she felt like my entire world," he paused for a moment, clearly choked up. "I moved on though. Just like you should now, because we can't undo what has been done."

Dustpelt closed his eyes, "You are right about that. We cannot undo what has been done, so perhaps I should look ahead, not behind me."

Fireheart nodded, "Yes, exactly!"

Dustpelt opened his eyes slowly, "I think I know what I have to do now."

Fireheart titled his head to the side, "What's that?"

"Kill you!" Dustpelt snarled and threw himself into the Fireheart, catching him off guard. Both cats crashed into the ground but Dustpelt was stronger than Fireheart, and he used his strength to pin him down. Dustpelt raised a single paw, "I've been waiting for a long time to do this," unsheathed his claws.

"Firestar, no!" A voice wailed. Dustpelt glanced over his side to see Sandstorm standing there, her eyes wide with dismay. The sight froze him, and Fireheart took advantage of his momentary lapse of focus to throw Dustpelt off of him. Now Fireheart had Dustpelt pinned down. Dustpelt struggled fiercely, kicking out with his hind legs and trying to grasp Fireheart's mane with his teeth, but before he could connect with anything Fireheart's claws had slashed open his neck. The weight was lifted off his chest as Fireheart got to his paws.

Surprisingly, Dustpelt's felt no pain. Though he could feel the life seeping out of him. All around him the forest was a blur. He could barely make out the two cats in front of him, he knew they were Sandstorm and Fireheart but he couldn't tell which was which until the one on his left spoke, "I can't believe that you would stoop to this level," the voice belonged to Sandstorm. "I knew that you were jealous of Fireheart, but you tried to kill him! I thought I knew you, but I was wrong."

"Sandstorm..." Blood pooled in Dustpelt's neck, and it began gurgling when he tried to speak. The world was starting to darken, and Dustpelt wanted so badly for this to all end, but it couldn't! He was here with Sandstorm, he needed to talk with her!

"StarClan will be your judge now," Sandstorm's voice shook, "But as for me, I hate you. _I hate you!_"

Dustpelt wanted so desperately to apologize to her, for everything. He wanted to tell her that he would never again act this way, that he'd do anything to gain her trust back, no matter how long it took! He simply didn't have the strength though, the blood pooled out of his mouth. The world faded to black.

**I haven't written one this dark in a while, it's a strange feeling... Leave a review and tell me your opinion of it! **


	22. Lionblaze and Cinderheart

**In response to your reviews:**

**Wyldclaw: I guess we'll never know! O_O**

**Silent's Screams: Thank you very much! :)**

**Featherstar22: Not a huge fan of either of those two, but your suggestion has been added!**

**This couple is definitely my most frequently requested, so I suppose I should finally listen to you guys! :P I hope you enjoy!**

**Lionblaze and Cinderheart**

"Is there anything else you need? More fresh kill? Is your bedding soft enough?" Lionblaze stared down on Cinderheart anxiously. She was sprawled out in her nest in the nursery.

"No, I'm perfectly fine," Cinderheart purred. "You really don't need to fret over me Lionblaze. I'm safer here than I am when I'm out doing warrior duties," she pointed out.

He had to admit that she was right, but it didn't ease him at all. Her stomach had swelled considerably, the kits were sure to arrive soon. She'd had spasms for the last few days. Whenever they'd occurred Lionblaze would rush to find Jayfeather and drag his brother into the nursery, only for Jayfeather to inform him that it wasn't time yet for the kits to arrive. Part of him wanted to be there to see his kits be delivered, but the other part of him wasn't too sure. It didn't quite make sense to Lionblaze, he'd seen his fair of bloody battles and was no longer fazed by the sight of blood, and yet for some reason he was afraid to see his mate give birth!

"Lionblaze," Brackenfur stepped into the nursery "I need you for a patrol on the ShadowClan border."

Lionblaze cast an unsure glance at Cinderheart, "Are you sure you need me? Couldn't you find someone else?"

"Bramblestar specifically told me to bring you on the patrol, in case we run into trouble." Brackenfur informed him.

Lionblaze protested, "But-"

"-I'm fine." Cinderheart interrupted him. "Go on the patrol, our Clan needs you."

"Fine," Lionblaze muttered and turned reluctantly and followed him out of the den. Outside the nursery Dustpelt and Cloudtail were waiting.

Cloudtail lashed out his tail impatiently. "Are we done waiting around now," he demanded. "I want to get this over with already."

Brackenfur nodded. "Let's go." They started forward to the camp entrance. Lionblaze was surprised to see Birchfall and Foxleap both standing guard at the camp entrance. What was going on? Bramblestar was sending an extra patrol to the ShadowClan border, and he had two guards posted to watch the camp entrance, what was he expecting? "Is everything alright?" He asked Brackenfur.

Brackenfur replied over his shoulder, "Yes, Bramblestar is just concerned about ShadowClan."

"Why?" Lionblaze asked. "There hasn't been a single skirmish between any of the Clans since the Great Battle." The Great Battle was the name that the Clan cats had given to the battle with the Dark Forest cats. The bloody battle had happened about five moons ago, and ever since there had been peace and practically no hostility between the Clans. Until now, according to Bramblestar.

Brackenfur looked uneasy. "We're not supposed to talk about this, but I suppose it's alright if you know. Earlier today our patrol on the ShadowClan border run into some issues with some ShadowClan cats."

Cloudtail snorted, "Yeah, 'issues'." His white fur was ruffled. "They're lucky we didn't shred them!" He growled.

Dustpelt rolled his eyes, "If we hadn't held you back a fight would've broken out, and it all it takes is one fight to start a war."

Cloudtail flexed his claws, "I wouldn't mind a battle." He muttered. Lionblaze agreed with Cloudtail. It had been far too long since he'd utilized his powers, and he was itching for a chance to fight.

"What happened?" He asked Brackenfur.

Brackenfur motioned to Cloudtail and Dustpelt, "We were patrolling the ShadowClan border with Bramblestar, when we spotted a couple of their warriors across the border. A couple of hostile words were exchanged, but they left before any fighting broke out. Bramblestar is still suspicious that they have something planned. I think they were just being mousebrained, but I understand Bramblestar's decision. He doesn't want us telling every cat in the Clan about it, no sense in worrying them all."

"Stop!" Dustpelt hissed quietly, and every cat froze. Lionblaze whipped to face him. The entire patrol went silent.

"ShadowClan," Dustpelt whispered and pointed towards the border that was just ahead.

Lionblaze inhaled, but he only detected an old ShadowClan scent. _Are you sure? _Dustpelt was getting old after all, Lionblaze wasn't too sure how well he could trust his senses anymore. After all, he was considering retiring to the elder's den soon. "I don't think-"

Lionblaze was cut off by a nearby screech, a dark gray blur erupted from a nearby bush and collided with him. He cried out in shock, but managed to wrestle his attacker off. The cat reacted quickly and was quickly back on it's paws. Lionblaze could see now that it was Scorchfur.

Both Brackenfur and Dustpelt were fighting with their own ShadowClan cat and Cloudtail had two. The white warrior was pinned down and was obviously struggling. _He needs my help! _But before Lionblaze could rescue him, Scorchfur intercepted him. "I don't think so!" He hissed.

Lionblaze barred his teeth, "What're you even doing here?" He demanded angrily.

"What's the matter, you afraid to get some blood on your claws?" Scorchfur mocked him.

Lionblaze wanted to laugh at Scorchfur, did the ShadowClan warrior really think he stood any chance against the best fighter on all the Clans. "Get out of my way," he spat and swiped his forepaw across Scorchfur's face.

Scorchfur stumbled backward, and Lionblaze lowered his shoulder and knocked him to the side easily. Cloudtail was now fighting furiously against the two cats, to no avail. He was bleeding badly, and was visibly starting to weaken.

Lionblaze bit into Rowanclaw's scruff, pried him off Cloudtail and tossed him. He turned his head just in time to see Crowfrost rushing him. Lionblaze sidestepped and kicked out at him as he passed, tripping the black and white tom. "Are you alright Cloudtail?"

Cloudtail moaned in response, and Lionblaze knew that his injuries were serious. "Dustpelt, Cloudtail's hurt badly! We have to get him out of here!"

Dustpelt batted at Ferretclaw, and the ShadowClan warrior ran off, presumably back to the ShadowClan camp. "I'll help Brackenfur, keep Cloudtail safe for now." Dustpelt ordered.

_Shouldn't be too hard. _Rowanclaw, Crowfrost and Scorchfur were all advancing on him now. Lionblaze positioned himself between them and Cloudtail, he crouched down, ready to pounce. Crowfrost came at him first, and Lionblaze launched himself at him. He landed heavily on Crowfrost, effectively knocking the wind out of him. Lionblaze rolled off of him, barely missing a blow from Scorchfur and lashed out with his hind legs, knocking him over. Scorchfur fell awkwardly, and Lionblaze took advantage of it. He raked his claws repeatedly across Scorchfur's pelt, until he howled in pain.

Rowanclaw had chosen to ignore Lionblaze, and was nearly on top of Cloudtail. "Coward!" Lionblaze spat. Rowanclaw glared at Lionblaze angrily. He hesitated, as if he wanted to challenge Lionblaze but thought better of it.

"Retreat!" The ShadowClan deputy called out hoarsely. His warriors obeyed, though they were clearly reluctant to do so. They slinked off towards the border, hissing and threatening the ThunderClan cats as they left.

Scorchfur stopped at the border and cried out, "You'll pay for this Lionblaze!"

Lionblaze was shocked at the fury burning in his eyes. He hadn't seen such pure rage since he had trained in the Dark Forest with Tigerstar and Hawkfrost.

"We'll see about that!" Lionblaze , trying to sound confident. Inside he was partially worried, the haunting look in Scorchfur's eyes was enough to make him want to shiver. _Stop being such a scaredy-mouse! _He scolded himself. _You're untouchable, you have nothing to be afraid of! _

"Lionblaze we need to get back to camp and report this to Bramblestar," Dustpelt mewed.

Lionblaze turned reluctantly, "Alright, how's Cloudtail?"

"I've been better," Cloudtail grunted. He was on his paws now, but still clearly in a lot of pain. "I could use some help though."

Lionblaze rushed to his side, and allowed Cloudtail to lean on his shoulder. Immediately he felt something warm and sticky pressing against his pelt, he scented blood. "You're still bleeding!" Lionblaze exclaimed. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fi-" Cloudtail slumped over and crashed to the ground, unconscious."

_Great StarClan! "_Lionblaze, get Jayfeather! _Now!" _Brackenfur ordered frantically.

…

Lionblaze waited outside of Jayfeather's den impatiently for his brother to announce how Cloudtail was doing. When they'd originally delivered Cloudtail to the medicine cat's den, Jayfeather had ushered them all out so he could work on the white warrior with some peace and quiet.

Bramblestar, Dustpelt and Brackenfur all waited outside as well with somber expressions on their faces. When the patrol had returned to camp, Dustpelt had left the group to go explain the situation to Bramblestar, but they hadn't discussed it since. "What are we going to do about this?" Dustpelt demanded.

Bramblestar sighed, "The gathering is tomorrow. I'll announce what happened today at the gathering, we'll see how Blackstar responds."

"That won't work!" Dustpelt argued, "He'll either deny it or say something about how ShadowClan deserves more territory. It'll make us look weak!"

"We're fully capable of defending ourselves. Any Clan that thinks it can attack us because we are weak will soon learn otherwise." Bramblestar replied.

Dustpelt lashed his tail angrily. "We can't let them get away with this! Cloudtail could die, and he'll be the first of many others if we don't take action!"

"Dustpelt, Bramblestar is our leader, he's told us what we're going to do. We need to respect his decision," Brackenfur reminded him.

Dustpelt stalked off, muttering something angrily under his breath. Bramblestar said nothing at first.

Brackenfur rolled his eyes, "Who put ants in his fur?"

"Dustpelt shouldn't have replied that way," Bramblestar agreed. "But it was only because he cares about the wellbeing of our Clan."

Jayfeather stepped out of his den, "Cloudtail is going to be alright," he announced.

"Thank StarClan," Lionblaze breathed. Cloudtail's injuries had been serious, he was worried that the white warrior wouldn't make it.

"When will he be ready for warrior duties again?" Bramblestar asked.

Jayfeather pondered the question for a moment, "I'd say at least a few days. Probably four or five."

Bramblestar nodded, "Thank you for your work, Jayfeather."

Jayfeather dipped his head, "Of course, but if he complains at all over the next couple days I'm kicking him out of my den."

Bramblestar chuckled, "If he gives you any trouble let me know and I'll talk to him."

"I think I'm going to get some sleep now," Lionblaze mewed. The sun had already set, and the stars were visible in the night sky now. "I'll check up on you tomorrow."

…

Lionblaze dreamt of Scorchfur that night. He imagined the dark gray tom attacking him, Lionblaze tried to fight back but he was frozen in place. Scorchfur clawed him over and over again, the pain was unbearable but Lionblaze couldn't cry out. Out of nowhere, Scorchfur began wailing.

"No!" He screamed. "Dear StarClan, no! Cinderheart!"

Lionblaze jolted awake, breathing rapidly. He let his eyes adjust to the warriors den. He was in his nest in the warriors den. _Everything's alright, it was just a dream, _he reassured himself and calmed down a little bit.

"Cinderheart!" The same exact wail Lionblaze had heard in his dream erupted though the camp. Lionblaze leapt to his paws, waking several other cats near him.

"Hey, what gives?" Birchfall complained, but Lionblaze ignored him.

"Something's wrong, I think we're under attack!" Lionblaze hissed. Cats around him began to stir and stand up, suddenly alert. Many of them began streaming out of the den, and Lionblaze followed them out.

There were no intruders that he could see in the clearing, but could faintly make out the scent of ShadowClan. He recognized the scent, it was Scorchfur!

Another wail came from the nursery. Lionblaze could practically feel his heart thumping through his chest. _She's alright, she's alright! _He repeated in his head over and over again as he rushed for the nursery. As he came closer the disgusting stench of blood filled his nostrils.

Lionblaze burst into the nursery. "Cinderheart, are you-" Nothing could have prepared him for the sight that greeted him. He'd seen his fair share of bloody battles before, but what lay before him was far more grotesque. What appeared to be the body of a cat was sprawled out on the floor, surrounded by a pool of blood. Lionblaze recoiled, and felt like crying out, but no sound escaped his mouth.

Daisy was pressed up against the wall of the den, trembling. She had a look of utter terror on her face.

Lionblaze peered closely at the body, and noticed that the fur of the cat was gray. His heart had been beating loudly before, but now he felt it stop. _Cinderheart?_

"H-He said he was coming for you next," Daisy stammered. "He told me to tell you his name: Scorchfur."

Lionblaze stood still for a moment, unable to register the sight before him, let alone what Daisy had just told him. "_Noooooo!" _He howled in agony. He felt as if some cat had just raked it's claws through his heart. "Dear StarClan, why!?" He lashed out at the nursery wall, breaking through the brambles and cutting himself in the process. But he didn't care, part of him had just died on the nursery floor in front of him.

"Lionblaze, please calm down!" Daisy begged, her eyes wide with fear.

Lionblaze ignored her. "I'll kill Scorchfur!" He yowled and tore into the nursery wall once again. Blood was oozing out of his scratches, but he welcomed the pain.

Apparently he'd made enough noise to attract over other warriors. Graystripe stood in the nursery entrance, "Stop!" He ordered sharply, but Lionblaze continued.

Lionblaze felt teeth sinking into his scruff, and he lashed out with one of his hind legs wildly, sending Graystripe sprawling. "_Cinderheart!" _Lionblaze wailed.

He heard other cats approaching quickly. Soon Foxleap and Berrynose were attempting to restrain him. They managed to wrestle Lionblaze down to the ground, but his adrenaline was coursing through his veins now. With a ferocious roar, Lionblaze surged forward with more power than he'd ever been able to summon in any battle, and Foxleap and Berrynose were sent crashing into nursery wall.

He was quickly back on his paws, the cats around him were retreating now. Now cat dared make any other effort to stop him now. Lionblaze looked around in dismay at the destruction he had just caused, Graystripe lay in a heap, and both Foxleap and Berrynose were entangled in the bramble used for the nursery walls.

Lionblaze collapsed. _Please, let this just be some sick nightmare! _But it wasn't. Cinderheart was dead; Lionblaze hadn't been there to protect her. Scorchfur had murdered his mate, and his kits.

…

"Bramblestar, would you like to speak now?" Blackstar asked in a friendly sounding tone. He looked overly casual, with a smug expression on his face.

Bramblestar so wanted to hurl every terrible thing that came to mind at the ShadowClan leader, but he knew it would accomplish nothing. Instead he didn't answer Blackstar, but faced the Clans cats before him. _Be strong, your Clan needs you. _"ThunderClan is just as strong as ever," He reported. "The prey is s abundant and our warriors are eagerly training as always." He shifted his gaze to Blackstar, "However, I am disappointed to have to announce that just yesterday one of our patrols ran across a ShadowClan patrol trespassing on our territory. They were told to leave our territory at once, and when they didn't comply our patrol had to use force to send them back to their own territory."

Shocked murmurings broke out among the cats. A few shot dirty looks at Blackstar. The ShadowClan warriors were all seated together, and most of them looked relatively nonchalant.

"I only wish that were the worst of my news," Bramblestar continued and the chattering died down. He sighed, and he struggled to keep his voice from shaking as he carried on, "After that, in the middle of the night a lone ShadowClan warrior snuck into our camp. He did not steal any prey, or destroy our medicine supplies, or even attack any of our warriors," he paused.

All eyes were on Bramblestar now, he had every cat's attention now. Some even leaned forward in anticipation. Not the ShadowClan warriors though, they continued to look calm.

"Instead he decided to enter our nursery. He then proceeded to brutally murder one of our queens, Cinderheart." Bramblestar's words rang out accusingly.

Not a single cat said a word. It was so silent that the Bramblestar could faintly hear the sounds of the lake. The cats exchanged horrified expressions. Attacking a defenseless queen in the middle of the night? Were even the cats of the Dark Forest so fox-hearted? Cats were now on their paws, crying out in outrage. Demanding that ShadowClan be punished for such cruel action.

"Silence!" Bramblestar's voice boomed. Cats began to settle down and sit back down, but many still had their pelts ruffled. He glared at Blackstar, "Do you have anything to say for yourself?" He demanded.

Blackstar met his gaze without blinking. His eyes burned with hatred, but he said nothing.

Bramblestar lowered his voice so that just Blackstar could hear him. "You may think that you've gotten away with this, but you're wrong. The next ShadowClan that so much as breathes on our border will be killed immediately. If we have to we'll kill every last one you," he growled.

"We'll see about that," Blackstar chuckled.

Mistystar interrupted before Bramblestar could say anything more, "That's enough. This gathering is over." To Blackstar: "Make sure you stay on your side of the border, we'll be doubling our patrols."

Bramblestar leapt down from the tree branch and stole one last glance at Blackstar over his shoulder, "I meant what I said."

…

Lionblaze waited until Jayfeather's breathing slowed, to ensure that his brother was actually asleep. He crept by him silently, and slipped out of the den. Outside it was pitch black, clouds covered the moon now and most of the stars. Good, the darkness would make his job much easier. He started towards the camp entrance.

The cats had returned from the gathering a while back, Bramblestar had personally shared every detail of what had happened with Lionblaze. He wasn't really that surprised at how Blackstar had reacted, it was ShadowClan after all. But none of that would matter after tonight, Lionblaze would make sure of that.

The nervous rush that he usually felt before a battle came over him. Most of the time he would force himself to calm down, but right now he allowed himself to feed off of his nervous energy. He would need every ounce of his strength for this particular task. Granted, he'd never been injured in a battle before, but there was still the possibility that his powers might fail him if he bit off more than he could chew.

Lionblaze realized that the familiar oak and birch trees had melted away into the pine trees that occupied ShadowClan territory. He must have crossed the border without realizing it. _Keep going, _he told himself. _You can't give up now! You have to go through with this!_

"Lionblaze? What are you doing here?" A voice whispered through the darkness.

Lionblaze froze in fear. He'd been discovered! But he recognized that voice didn't he? It belonged to Tawnypelt! He let out a sigh of relief, "Tawnypelt! Come here!" He mewed urgently and was careful to keep his voice low.

Tawnypelt stepped out of the shadows cautiously. A worried expression on her face, "What's the matter? Is everything alright?" She demanded.

"Yes," he lied. That couldn't possibly be further from the truth. Everything was not alright, and it would never be alright ever again. Ever.

"I heard about what happened to Cinderheart and I'd like to apologize on behalf of our Clan," she shook her head sadly. "Whoever it was that did it was certainly not told to. ShadowClan may not always follow the Warrior Code religiously, but we're certainly not just a group of bloodthirsty murderers!"

_As far as I'm concerned you are! _Lionblaze wanted to shout at Tawnypelt. Didn't she understand? His entire life had just been torn apart, and she wanted him to _forgive _Scorchfur? The very thought made Lionblaze shiver in disgust.

"Wait," Tawnypelt's eyes grew wide in realization. "That's what this is about isn't? You're here to get revenge!"

"Go back to your camp bring any cat close to you far away from the camp," he replied in a low voice.

"Please don't do this, Lionblaze!" Tawnypelt begged.

Lionblaze closed his eyes, trying to control himself. "Go. If you try warning your Clanmates then you'll die as well."

Tawnypelt looked like she wanted to argue, but she clearly didn't want to risk the lives of her loved ones. "Very well," she said softly. "Revenge won't bring her back. All it will cause is more is more pain." She turned and left.

Lionblaze was now alone, he knew that the ShadowClan camp was only a short distance ahead of him. He'd give Tawnypelt a fair amount of time to fetch the others and get away.

While he waited he visualized the coming battle. It'd be more difficult than any other battle he'd fought before, but he knew that he would win. He had to. For Cinderheart.

When he could wait no longer, Lionblaze began creeping forward. After a few pawsteps the ShadowClan camp was within sight. He could just barely make out the forms of Tawnypelt, Rowanclaw, Dawnpelt and Tigerheart sneaking out of the camp. Good, that was one less thing to worry about.

He pressed forward, and walked silently through the thorn tunnel, and slipped past the large boulder at the end of the entrance and now stood in the clearing that was ShadowClan's camp. Doubt began filling his mind, but he forced his second guessing away. He'd already come too far, if he left now ShadowClan would pick up his scent in the morning and a war was sure to soon follow. He would never forgive himself if any other ThunderClan cats died because of him. He'd already failed Cinderheart.

Lionblaze cleared his throat nervously. _Here goes nothing... Or everything. _"ShadowClan, get out here you filthy fleabags!" He yowled loudly.

It didn't take long enough for the warriors to stream out of their den, at first they just stared at him in shock. Did this ThunderClan cat really have the guts to invade their camp in the middle of the night alone and then announce his presence? A few curious kits poked their heads out of their den, only to be ushered back into the nursery by their mothers.

"What is the meaning of this?" Blackstar had appeared from his den. He glared at Lionblaze angrily.

"I'm here to avenge Cinderheart!" Lionblaze declared.

Blackstar rolled his eyes, "Do you have a death wish?"

"No," Lionblaze replied. "But I'm about to grant yours." He scanned through the group of ShadowClan warriors until he spotted Scorchfur. He locked eyes with the dark gray warrior and smirked at him. "You die first."

…

Bramblestar lifted his head to look up at Squirrelflight. His deputy had just entered his den. "Hello," he purred, greeting his mate warmly. He noticed the worried expression on her face and frowned. "Is everything alright?"

Squirrelflight flicked her tail towards the den's entrance. "Tawnypelt and a few others are here, they requested that they speak with you."

Bramblestar's eyes flashed with rage. "What?" He exclaimed. "I told Blackstar that we'd kill any further intruders, but instead we've invited them to our camp?"

Squirrelflight's eyes spoke enough for her, and Bramblestar immediately regretted what he'd said. Things were still shaky between him and Squirrelflight, the last thing he wanted was a fight with her. But there wasn't a hint of anger in her reply, "It's your sister," she reminded him.

"Fine," Bramblestar grunted. "Send them in."

Squirrelflight dipped her head, and exited. Tawnypelt, Dawnpelt and Tigerheart entered shortly. "Hello Bramblestar," his sister greeted him warmly.

"Hello," Bramblestar was reserved. Deep down he knew he could trust her and felt silly for his nervousness, but he couldn't help it. He'd been deeply shaken by the events of the past few days. He opted to avoid any small talk, "Why are you here?"

"I've come here to ask on behalf of ShadowClan that we might make peace with ThunderClan." She replied.

Bramblestar's eyes narrowed suspiciously. What kind of scheme was Blackstar up to now? "Why are you speaking on behalf of your Clan? Why did Blackstar not come to meet me then?" _Because he's a coward, _Bramblestar answered himself.

Tawnypelt hesitated, "Blackstar is dead."

"What? How?" Bramblestar demanded. "Did he not have multiple lives left?"

Tawnypelt nodded sadly. "We were attacked last night and he died, multiple times. Now I speak for ShadowClan."

Bramblestar was confused, why would Tawnypelt be acting as the leader? "What about Rowanclaw? Is he not leader of your Clan now?"

"No," Tawnypelt sighed. "He died as well. He originally left our camp during the battle, but returned to help and died."

"I'm so sorry," Bramblestar wrapped his tail around her in an attempt to comfort her. "That's a lot of cats to lose in one night?"

"We lost more than that," Tawnypelt replied glumly. She motioned to Dawnpelt and Tigerheart, "We are all that remains of ShadowClan."

Bramblestar's eyes widened in disbelief. "How is that possible? What enemy could possibly be powerful enough to kill of practically your entire Clan?"

"Lionblaze," she answered. "He came to our camp last night and slaughtered everyone. And I do mean everyone. We returned this morning to see who all had survived, and we discovered that none had. Our camp was littered with bodies, warriors, medicine cat, queens, elders and even the kits." She choked up. "We've been decimated. ShadowClan is no more."

**Another pretty dark/dramatic chapter. Tell me your opinion and leave a suggested pairing! (I don't have a lot of suggestions left that I'm too interested in writing so please, feel free to leave me some ideas!)**


	23. Breezepaw and Heatherpaw

**In response to your reviews: **

**lavi0123: Yep, I've had that one requested a lot!**

**Featherstar22: Yes, well you get to the decide the ending that way! :) Don't you just love cliffhangers?**

**I absolutely hate this pairing! :( Regardless, I still hope you enjoy it!**

**Breezepaw and Heatherpaw**

The ground shook violently, as if StarClan themselves were taking out their wrath on the earth itself. Lionpaw barely managed to stay on his paws. It was pitch black in the tunnels, Lionblaze could barely see a fox-length in front of himself. Nearby he heard Breezepaw stagger, and smirked. Rocks fell from the roof of the tunnel, and Lionpaw barely dodged out of their way in time.

"We're going to die down here," Breezepaw spat. "I'm getting out of her now."

"You can't!" Lionblaze protested. "Heatherpaw's still down here, we have to find her!"

"She's likes you, so it's not my problem." Breezepaw scoffed. Lionpaw thought he could detect a hint of jealousy in the WindClan apprentice's voice. If he liked Heatherpaw then why didn't he try to save her? _Because he's a selfish coward. _

_ "_Give Heatherpaw my condolences when you greet her in StarClan." Breezepaw's pawsteps grew fainter and fainter until Lionpaw could no longer hear them. He rolled his eyes, good riddance!

"Heatherpaw!" He called out, and listened for her reply but heard nothing. The ground shook once again, more violently than before and panic began to set in. Heavier chunks of rock were beginning to fall now, the tunnels were going to collapse! Lionpaw began pelting through the tunnels now, and continued to call out to Heatherpaw, desperately hoping that she would hear his cries and reply. But she didn't.

Lionpaw wasn't prepared for the next tremor, and when it occurred he fell to the ground with a loud yelp. He looked up just in time to see a large piece of rock dislodge from the roof and come barreling towards him.

…

"I should've never come down to these stupid tunnels," Breezepaw grumbled. He'd only decided to so he could warn Heatherpaw about seeing Lionpaw, but somehow he'd gotten lost in the tunnels while following her. Now he was wandering aimlessly through them. _I'm going to die, and it's all her fault_, he thought bitterly.

"Hey!" A familiar voice exclaimed when he collided with another cat headed in his direction. He was about to hiss something when he recognized the newcomer's voice. _Heatherpaw! _

She recognized him at the same time. "Breezepaw! What're you doing down here?" She didn't wait for an answer. "Never mind that, we need to get out of here now! Follow me!" She continued in the same direction at a brisk pace and Breezepaw followed behind her.

The shaking began once again. "Hurry!" Breezepaw urged and they began sprinting as quickly as they could. _She better know where she's going! _He was beginning to be able to see once again. Up ahead he could just barely make out a source of light.

"It's just up ahead!" Heatherpaw called out. Large pieces of rock were falling now, and Breezepaw had to vault over several of them.

He could clearly make out the tunnel entrance now, but it was collapsing! Rocks were filling it in, they'd be trapped down here! His adrenaline was rushing, and his pulse spiking. "We're not going to make it!"

"Yes we are!" Heatherpaw growled and gathered herself. The opening in the tunnel was just barely big enough for a cat to squeeze through, it was now or never! She launched herself through the air and cleared the rocks.

_You can do this! _Breezepaw jumped, but to his horror he realized he hadn't jumped with enough force. His front legs landed on top of the rock pile, and he kicked desperately with his hind legs against the rock pile. He felt teeth dig into his scruff, and Heatherpaw grunted as she pulled him through back onto WindClan territory. She'd tore into him slightly and he was bleeding, but he could care less. He looked over at the entrance of the tunnel, but it was entirely filled in. He let out a sigh of relief, and simply laid on the grass. Grateful just to be alive. _Thank StarClan!_

Heatherpaw stood over him, peering down on him her eyes displaying her anxiety. "Did Lionpaw make it out?"

The mention of the golden tabby made Breezepaw want to wrinkle his nose in disgust. He sat up and faked a look of sadness, for Heatherpaw's sake. "I'm afraid he didn't make it out."

Heatherpaw looked stunned, "StarClan no..." she whispered.

He shook his head sadly. "I'm so sorry. I saw him down in the tunnels and we spoke for a brief moment. I told him that you were still stuck down there somewhere and that we had to go find you, but he refused. He told me that wasn't his problem, and that he wasn't going to die there. If only he hadn't been so selfish, he'd still be alive. It's a shame, really."

Heatherpaw looked utterly defeated, "He really said that?" The thought of her perfect little play mate not catering to her every whim as he usually did was apparently too much for her to take in. Her eyes lightened a little, "At least you came to my rescue."

Breezepaw shrugged, "It was nothing, really. You know that I'd give my life for you in a heartbeat, right?"

"I do now," she purred and wrapped her tail around him affectionately. "I guess Lionpaw wasn't the cat that I thought he was. Maybe you're that cat instead?"

He winked at her, "I think the answer to that is pretty clear, isn't it?"

**I hate Breezepaw. A lot. I was really tempted to end this with him going down to the lakeshore and accidentally falling in and drowning. But I resisted the urge... barely. I know this chapter was way shorter than the other ones I've been writing, but it was a really short event to tell about, so I hope you don't hate for me it! Please leave a review/pairing for me!**


	24. Bumblestripe and Hollyleaf

**In response to your reviews:**

**nightheart777: Thanks for the suggestions! :)**

**Here's another one. Kind of an odd couple, but we'll see where it leads!**

**Bumblestripe and Hollyleaf**

"How're you feeling? You don't look too well!" Hollyleaf stood over Bumblestripe, peering down on him anxiously. "I could go get Jayfeather if you wanted."

"No, I'm fine, just a little stiff, that's all." Bumblestripe shifted in his nest. He was staying in Jayfeather's den for now, recovering from his wounds that he'd received during the battle with the Dark Forest. It'd only been three days since the battle, but every day Hollyleaf had appeared in the den and checked up on him. At first, Bumblestripe was a little surprised. He did have a crush on Hollyleaf, but he'd never expected that she'd ever return those feelings for him. _Don't get your hopes up, _he chided himself. Hollyleaf was just being friendly, or was there something more there?

"I'm hoping that I Jayfeather will let me out of here today," he admitted. "I'm kind of getting tired of being stuck in here."

"You don't like me coming to visit you?" Hollyleaf pouted.

"What? N-No," he stammered. "That's not it at all! In fact, I've really enjoyed having you come visit me. I really look forward to it," he paused awkwardly. "Well, not any more than any other friend I have come to visit, um... You know what I mean." He glanced down at his paws. _Nice going mousebrain!_

Hollyleaf chuckled. "I was only teasing you!" She winked at him, "And I've enjoyed visiting you as well."

Bumblestripe's pulse spiked. Had she really just winked at him? Did that mean-? He opened his mouth to reply, but she turned and exited the den, leaving him alone. He flicked his tail in frustration. _She-cats! Why do they have to be so confusing?_

"Were you just talking to me?" Jayfeather grumbled, peering at Bumblestripe from around the corner. He stared right at Bumblestripe, and Bumblestripe couldn't help but shiver. It was almost as if Jayfeather could actually see him. He often forgot that the medicine cat was actually blind.

"No, I was talking to a friend," Bumblestripe answered.

Jayfeather gave him an odd look and muttered, "Whatever." He said something else under his breath but Bumblestripe didn't catch what it was. If any other cat had treated him that way he would've been offended, but he'd come to expect such behavior from Jayfeather.

"Actually," Bumblestripe continued hesitantly, trying not to further agitate Jayfeather. "I was wondering if I could return to my warrior duties today?"

Jayfeather sniffed him, "That depends. How are you feeling?"

"A lot better, I'm just a little stiff." Bumblestripe replied.

"You can go then," Jayfeather gave him a stern look. "But take it easy, and I mean it. If you injure yourself acting like a mousebrain don't bother stopping by."

"Thanks!" Bumblestripe grunted as he got to his paws. "See? I'm fine."

"No. I'm blind." Jayfeather replied pointedly.

An awkward silence hung in the air, and Bumblestripe briefly considered apologizing. _I'd probably just make things worse. _Instead he opted to walk by Jayfeather out of the den, the medicine cat muttered something else that Bumblestripe didn't catch but he was glad that he didn't.

Bumblestripe stepped into the clearing and blinked, adjusting his eyes to the light. The sun was close to setting, in the distance he could make out ominous looking black clouds. He figured that he had enough time left in the day to go hunting before nightfall. He scanned the clearing, looking for any cat that didn't look preoccupied.

He almost jumped when his eyes rested on Hollyleaf, she was staring intensely at him. Had she been watching him the entire time? He broke eye contact with her, feeling awkward. When he looked back at her she was still staring at him. This time, she waved her tail at him, beckoning him over to her. He swallowed nervously and slowly approached her. What did she want?

"Hey!" She greeted him warmly, her eyes sparkling.

_Wow. _Bumblestripe had never noticed her eyes before that way before. They were a deep, emerald green color. They shown beautifully, Bumblestripe had never been that captivated before. He realized that he hadn't returned her greeting, and was instead staring at her. "Oh, um, hey!"

Hollyleaf flicked her tail in amusement. "I'm getting bored, you want to go hunting?"

Bumblestripe nodded eagerly, "Yeah, I just need to check with Squirrelflight to make sure she doesn't need me for anything."

"I already did," she informed him. "She said that we're good to go! We just need to be back by nightfall."

"Great!" Bumblestripe purred.

"Hey Bumblestripe," Mousewhisker called to him across the clearing. "Is everything alright?" He had a concerned look on his face.

Bumblestripe looked briefly at Hollyleaf, and then at Mousewhisker. "Yes, why?"

Mousewhisker stared at him a moment before shaking his head and continuing to eat the rabbit he'd started.

Bumblestripe turned to Hollyleaf, confused. "Did I say something?"

Hollyleaf shrugged, "Who cares. Come on, follow me! Let's go catch some prey, the fresh-kill pile is low but I'm starving!"

…

"Foxdung!" Bumblestripe spat as he glumly watched the mouse that had just slipped through his paws scamper away.

"Oh, bad luck!" Hollyleaf expressed her sympathy. She suddenly recoiled and looked up at the sky and frowned.

Bumblestripe felt a few rain drops land lightly on his back. He looked up at the sky and was shocked to see dark gray clouds covering the sky. He'd been so focused on Hollyleaf that he hadn't them roll in. "Great!" He exclaimed sarcastically.

The rain started pouring heavily, out of nowhere. As if StarClan had heard his complaint. Hollyleaf took shelter under a nearby tree, and Bumblestripe joined her. "I suppose we should be getting back-"

A loud crash interrupted him, and a bolt of lighting flashed overheard, seemingly appearing from nowhere. Hollyleaf jumped and froze in place, eyes glued to the sky. Bumblestripe noticed that she was trembling.

"Is everything alright?" He asked anxiously.

If Hollyleaf had heard him she didn't show it. Her eyes were closed now. Another strike of lighting erupted again. "Please Ashfur, no!" She whimpered quietly.

"Hollyleaf?" Bumblestripe was really worried now. He'd never seen her like this before! What was wrong?

"No!" Hollyleaf screeched at the top of her lungs. Her eyes flew forward and she bolted past him. What in StarClan's name was she doing?

"Hollyleaf!" Bumblestripe called but she didn't slow. He decided to follow her, though the rain made it extremely difficult. It was darker out now, and Bumblestripe could barely make out her black pelt streaking through the forest ahead of him. She was headed for the camp. The thought calmed him a little. He realized that he was panting heavily, he wasn't in as great of shape as he'd thought.

They were quickly approaching the camp, and Bumblestripe slowed a little. "Hollyleaf! It's alright, we're almost there!"

She ignored him. She continued to run quickly forward. It dawned on Bumblestripe that they were approaching the rear of the camp, and that they couldn't enter the camp from this side. Squirrelflight had almost accidentally fallen into the camp when she'd explored the lake territories for the first time many moons ago. They'd since placed brambles around the edge of the clearing to stop any cats from falling over the edge into the camp.

Another flash of lightning lit up the forest. Hollyleaf still continued forward. Surely she would stop before she reached the edge! But she pressed forward. "Hollyleaf!" He screamed.

He realized with a sickening feeling that even if she attempted to slow down that there was no way she could avoid the brambles. But she didn't slow down. She crashed through the brambles and disappeared from his sight. _StarClan no! _

He cautiously approached the edge and peered over it, praying that his mind had played tricks on him and that what he'd just seen hadn't been real. He could see the floor of the camp, and sprawled out on it in a heap of black fur was Hollyleaf. He stared at her in shock, expecting her to stand back up. She didn't.

Bumblestripe staggered backward. What had just happened? Hollyleaf had just died? He raced along the bramble line, following it to the camp entrance. The entire time he forced any thoughts out of his mind. He burst through the camp entrance, nearly running over Cloudtail.

"Hey!" The white warrior complained but Bumblestripe ignored him. Hollyleaf still lay in the middle of the clearing. Her eyes were glazed over, and her body was twisted unnaturally. Bumblestripe stood over her in horror. She was dead?

Bumblestripe fell to the ground, overwhelmed by emotion. He would never again speak to her, never hunt or train with her, he'd never see her green eyes sparkle, he'd never get to tell her how he felt...

"I'm so sorry!" He howled. It felt as if some cat had just torn into his chest and ripped open his heart. Why did this happen? Why didn't she heed his warnings?

"What in StarClan's name are you doing?" Bumblestripe noticed Cloudtail standing over him, glaring down on him angrily.

Bumblestripe gaped at him. How could Cloudtail say that? He was standing over the dead body of one of his Clanmates, and he was angry at Bumblestripe for mourning? Did he have no heart?

"She's dead," Bumblestripe whispered. Maybe Cloudtail hadn't seen her fall, and assumed that she was just playing around.

"Who's dead?" Cloudtail asked.

Bumblestripe motioned to Hollyleaf's body. "Hollyleaf." A crowd of cats had now gathered around Bumblestripe, and they were all staring at him now, confused looks on their faces. What was the matter with everyone?

Cloudtail nodded, but before he could respond Squirrelflight came forward, "What're you doing? And where have you been? I needed you for a patrol, and I couldn't find you anywhere around the camp."

"Hollyleaf told me you that you said it was alright for she and I to go hunting!" Bumblestripe protested.

Squirrelflight shook her head, "That never happened..."

Bumblestripe scanned through the crowd, desperately searching for Jayfeather. When he spotted the medicine cat he cried out. "Jayfeather, she came and visited me in the den today, you remember don't you?"

Jayfeather shook his head as well. "I never scented any cat other than you in there today."

_Why are they lying to me? _"Mousewhisker saw me talking with Hollyleaf before we left!"  
>Mousewhisker looked bewildered. "No I didn't, you were talking to yourself. That's why I asked you if you were alright."<p>

"What?" Bumblestripe was shocked. "That can't be true! Hollyleaf's body is right here!"

Squirrelflight looked down on him with sadness brimming in her eyes. "Bumblestripe, you're right Hollyleaf did die."

"See! I told you-"

"But not today," Squirrelflight continued. "She died during the battle a few days ago. We buried her the morning after."

_That can't be true! _Bumblestripe wanted to cry out in protest. They were all pulling some kind of sick joke on him! He looked down on Hollyleaf and nearly jumped in surprise. The spot where her body had recently occupied was empty.

**O_O That was... different. Let me know you're opinion of it!**


	25. Scourge and Bluestar

**In response to your reviews:**

**WyldClaw: Yeah, it was an odd idea but I think it's nice to switch things up every now and then!**

**twinkleestar1801: Added!**

**Here's another odd couple, I hope you enjoy it! :)**

**Scourge and Bluestar**

Scourge stared down at the gash mark in his stomach. Firestar had just inflicted the wound on him, after he had killed Firestar. He didn't really want to kill Firestar, but he had to test StarClan, to ensure that they were indeed real. When he saw life course back into Firestar's veins he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that StarClan existed. The thought excited him, and he willingly allowed Firestar to defeat him. Blood now flowed from his wound freely. He'd expected it to hurt more than this, but instead he felt a dizzy feeling. He was so very tired, and wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and sleep.

He sighed happily and closed his eyes. He'd already accomplished his goal, and though he felt bad for unleashing BloodClan on the forest, he had no other choice. He wouldn't have been able to accomplish his goal if he hadn't. Even if some cats had to die for his mission, it was most certainly worth it. _It's amazing how far I've come, _he thought. _I can still clearly remember the day it all began._ Now, in his last moments of life, he remembered back to the eventful day that had forever changed his life.

…

Back then he was only a kit, and he went by another name. Tiny. One day he decided to venture out into the forest. It was incredible how the decision was a terrible mistake and an incredible blessing at the same time.

It didn't take long until he ran into a patrol of forest warriors. They were a terrifying sight, they towered over him looking angry at him for trespassing on their territory. He could see the bloodlust in the eyes of Tigerpaw and Thistleclaw. He was horrified when Thistleclaw ordered Tigerpaw to attack him and teach him a lesson. The much larger Tigerpaw obeyed his orders eagerly.

Tiny surely would have died if she hadn't stepped in. The pretty blue-gray she-cat stopped Tigerpaw, and scolded him by reminding him that the warrior code ordered that they never kill a cat in battle unless absolutely necessary. Tigerpaw glared at Tiny angrily and hissed at him, telling Tiny that he'd never forget him.

Tigerpaw's words for true, he never did forget him. Nor did he ever forget Bluefur. Though he fled the forest that day with the intention to never return, he actually did end up returning quite soon. He couldn't help it, he had to check up on Bluefur! Once every few days he'd head down to the forest and search out Bluefur. During his short visits to the forest he learned much about Clan life, and the more he learned the more he felt a desire to join ThunderClan. Sadly he knew that would never be a possibility as long as Tigerclaw remained there. So instead he opted to watch Bluefur from afar. He watched proudly as she was selected to be ThunderClan's deputy, and then even managed to follow her all the way up to Highstones when she became ThunderClan's next leader. He didn't buy into the notion of StarClan, but he was overjoyed for her nonetheless.

Back at the Twolegplace Tiny began developing his own Clan, hoping to maybe one day unite them with ThunderClan. He changed his name to Scourge, and formed BloodClan. It wasn't really in his nature to act cruelly, but the rouges that occupied Twolegplace were fierce so he was forced to rule with an iron paw. He killed or ordered the killing of many cats, and was forced to do it all nonchalantly. He pulled it off quite well.

The larger BloodClan grew, the less time he had to go to the forest. So he snuck into ShadowClan territory until he located an ex-BloodClan warrior, Boulder. He approached Boulder and told him that unless he reported to Scourge once every half-moon that he would kill him. Boulder was still obviously terrified of him, and agreed almost instantly.

Boulder kept his word. Scourge would first ask for information regarding Bluestar, and then Tigerclaw. He also asked Boulder about Clan life, and learned quite a bit from him. It was interesting to see how different ShadowClan was from ThunderClan.

Moons passed, and everything seemed well. Scourge was about ready to send a patrol of cats to ThunderClan to propose a treaty with them when Boulder unexpectedly entered his den. Scourge was immediately suspicious, the half-moon was not for a while, something bad had clearly happened.

Scourge was distressed to learn that Tigerclaw was now Tigerstar, leader of ShadowClan. He also learned of Tigerstar's attempts to murder Bluestar and was furious. He shifted his focus, devising strategies to deal with Tigerstar first. He knew there was no possible way that Tigerstar would let her live.

Sadly, Scourge didn't act quickly enough. At one of his meetings, he learned from Boulder that Bluestar had died after a pack of dogs had attacked the ThunderClan cats. Scourge was grief stricken, and sent Boulder away. For the next few days he mourned over Bluestar's death, and didn't eat at all. Eventually his sadness gave way to rage, and the next time Boulder visited him he told him that he wanted to meet with Tigerstar. Initially, Boulder didn't like the idea, but after some coaxing he gave in.

Some moons later Tigerstar came to the BloodClan camp and met Scourge once again. Scourge was extremely worried that the ShadowClan leader would recognize him, but Tigerstar didn't. Tigerstar told him that they could rule the forest together, and while Scourge could see through his lies, he agreed to ally BloodClan with ShadowClan.

The day finally arrived for Scourge to take his Clan to the forest territories. He brought them to Fourtrees and approached Tigerstar. Tigerstar attempted to order BloodClan to attack the other Clans, but they did not obey him. Tigerstar demanded that Scourge order them to attack, but Scourge refused. He was done dealing with Tigerstar, he needed to finish things already. Tigerstar made the foolish decision to attack Scourge and he quickly dispatched of the ShadowClan leader. It wasn't quite as satisfying as he'd expected it to be, watching Tigerstar writhe in pain below him and bleed to death. It didn't matter though, he'd accomplished what he came to do.

With Tigerstar and Bluestar both dead, Scourge no longer had a purpose to live. He also wanted to get rid of the Clan that he had created, realizing that they were not a true Clan. He told the forest Clans that they had four days to leave, or else BloodClan would fight them for the forest, though he was positive that the Clans would fight. It was in their nature.

When the day of the battle finally came, Scourge had one last thing to do. He attacked Firestar, and killed him quickly and then watched patiently. If StarClan were indeed real, then Firestar had eight more lives left. If not then he had just slain another innocent cat. He stared at Firestar's corpse intensely, and willed it to come back to life. _Come on!_

Firestar suddenly leapt to his paws, and Scourge stared at him with eyes wide in disbelief. That meant StarClan was real! Firestar rushed at him, and Scourge made no attempt to stop him. He willingly allowed Firestar to deliver a blow to him that he was sure would end his life.

…

Scourge hacked up blood, he knew his time was nearly up. He stared deeply into Firestar's green eyes, and for some reason he felt compelled to warn the ThunderClan leader about Tigerstar. He wasn't sure why, but he felt as if they hadn't seen the last of Tigerstar, and that one day Firestar would have to deal with him once and for all. He opened his mouth to tell this to Firestar, but no words formed. He felt the last of his life draining from him.

He suddenly awakened in an unfamiliar territory. He had no wounds now, and felt no pain at all. Scourge looked around, confused. His own pelt looked odd, it was shining and it appeared as if there were stars intermingled in his fur. How was that possible? A moment ago he'd just been laying on the forest floor, and now he was... Well he wasn't too sure where he was. _Unless... Could it be? _

"Hello there, Tiny," A familiar voice greeted him warmly. He hadn't been called that in ages!

Scourge whipped around, and faced the newcomer, jaw gaping. Bluestar stood before him, as majestic and as beautiful as he remembered her. He grasped for words, but couldn't come up with any. He was in shock.

Bluestar's eyes sparkled. "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot that's not your name anymore. Scourge," she corrected herself. "I've been watching over you these past moons, and I've been dying to meet you; no pun intended. Would you like to walk with me?"

**It was a little short, but I enjoyed writing it! Leave me a review! :P **


	26. Cloudtail and Brightheart

**In response to your reviews:**

**Guest: I'm not sure how I feel about that couple, but I might get around to it! Dovewing and Bumblestripe actually do become mates after The Last Hope (It was confirmed by Kate!)**

**Ivyflight: Thank you very much! :) And thanks for the huge list of suggestions, I love getting a lot of suggestions because it gives me more variety to choose from when I go to write the next chapter!**

**Anonymous: First of all, I'd like to say thank you very much for taking the time to leave me this review! I agree completely with you, Firestar does flip-flop about his feelings for Spottedleaf in this chapter. When he firsts meets up with Spottedleaf he's angry at her, because he associates her with StarClan, who are trying to take Sandstorm away from him. She acts differently then she usually does by telling him that he has to let her go instead of being sympathetic to him as he expected her to. Then Spottedleaf flips the conversation, making it about herself in an attempt to exploit any feelings that he still has for her. Because my story is written during _The Darkest Hour _I portrayed Firestar as still having some feelings left for her. He begins to soften up, and give in to those feelings before he realizes what she's doing. He's hurt by her actions, and gets mad at her and storms off. Her actions upset him because he still has some feelings for her. Later, when she sacrifices herself for him and Sandstorm he sees her acting as her old self, and those feelings he has for her rushes over him again and he's a little overwhelmed by it. "This isn't exactly a story crafted from the hands of the Erins, but I would have believed it once until I got to reading this particular chapter." Thank you very much for that compliment, it means the world to me that I could even be considered in the same realm as them. I hope you enjoy the future chapters a bit more!**

**Sorry for the massive paragraph there, but I felt he deserved an explanation! Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this one!**

**Cloudtail and Brightheart**

Cloudtail sat alone in the elder's den with Brightheart curled up at his side. He wasn't sure where the other elders where, but he didn't care. It was nice to have some time alone with his mate. In the distance he could just make out the setting sun, it was a beautiful sight. When he was a younger warrior he hadn't had the time or patience to appreciate the little things, like the setting sun, or magnificent stars in the sky. He found it interesting how in his old age his eyes had been opened to these things, though his eyesight wasn't the best anymore.

Looking out into the lake territories Cloudtail was filled with nostalgia. He still longed to be out there, hunting, patrolling and fighting. His aching joints argued otherwise. He shifted slightly and grunted, he'd have to talk to Jayfeather about his joint pain soon, before it became unbearable.

Beside him Brightheart stirred, and he cast a glance over at her. She looked up at him with her one good eye and then glanced around the den, "Where'd everyone go?" She asked him through a yawn.

Cloudtail shrugged, "Dunno. I kinda like it this way though, I don't have to listen them ramble on and over exaggerate old stories. It gets old fast."

"Sort of like us?" Brightheart chuckled.

Cloudtail nodded, "It's crazy to think that we're elders now. I swear it was just yesterday that I laid in that nest next to you in Cinderpelt's den. I've never been that scared in my entire life, I was so afraid that I'd lose you."

Brightheart rolled her eye, "Oh come on, what about the battle with the Dark Forest?"

"Not even close," Cloudtail shook his head vigorously. "You know, I find it amazing how something as awful as that dog attack could result in something wonderful. I really began falling for you when I spent those days by your side."

Brightheart frowned, "I wouldn't really consider my horrible disfiguration as 'something wonderful'."

"You're still the most beautiful cat I've ever laid eyes on," Cloudtail told her.

"You're too sweet," she purred. Her tone saddened, "But that won't get rid of my scars. No matter how much you compliment me, I'll always hate the way I look. I can't stand to see my own reflection."

Cloudtail's heart broke for her. He wished there was some way he could make her see herself the way he did. But she was trapped, and he no matter how hard he tried he couldn't free her. He knew for a fact that she was still haunted by her experience with the dog pack. Every once in a while she would cry out in her sleep. He would lay next to her and try to comfort her, but he still felt powerless. She would wake up, and though the dogs were gone her scars weren't. She lived out her nightmare every day, unable to ever escape it.

He admired her so much for her strength. If he didn't know her so well, he wouldn't be able to tell that she was bothered at all. She carried all of these burdens, and they weighed down on her heavily. Yet, she still went through each day, a happy sparkle in her eyes. Most cats couldn't see through her facade, but he could.

Cloudtail sighed, "I know it's hard on you and I'm so sorry for that. But we all have our scars. Some we can't change, no matter how hard we try. And that's okay," he paused. "Brightheart, I love you. Scars and all. I accept your imperfections, just like you accept mine. Our imperfections are just as important as our good qualities, they define us, and make us who we are. If I could change anything about you I wouldn't. I love you for _you. _And I pray to StarClan every day that you would be able to love and accept yourself too."

Brightheart looked stunned. He couldn't blame her, he'd never opened up to her that way before. He tended to stay reserved when it came to his emotions. He was usually uncomfortable talking about them, but that needed to be said. "I-I don't know what to say," she trailed off. "Do you really mean that?"

"Of course I do!" Cloudtail exclaimed. "I wouldn't have said it if I hadn't meant it, you know that." He chuckled.

Brightheart was about to reply, but was interrupted by a loud caterwaul. Her eye darkened with worry, and she exchanged a glance with him. "I'll go see what's happening." Pain flared through his hips as he stood shakily.

"Please be careful," Brightheart begged him.

"You kidding?" Cloudtail snorted, "I couldn't make it far enough to run into trouble." He slowly hobbled out of the den just in time to see Foxleap burst through the camp entrance, a terrified expression on his face. _Great StarClan, what now?_

"Bramblestar!" Foxleap cried out.

"What's the matter?" Cloudtail demanded.

Foxleap was breathing heavily, "We were on the ShadowClan border... We tried to help them... They chased us... So many dogs..."

Cloudtail's eyes widened. "Dogs? On our territory?"

Foxleap nodded vigorously, "At least ten of them. Probably more."

"_What?_" How was that even possible? Where could they've come from?

"What's wrong?" Bramblestar padded up next to Cloudtail.

Foxleap explained the situation to Bramblestar quickly, and Cloudtail learned that Birchfall, Ivypool and Lionblaze were currently out battling the dogs. Bramblestar seemed lost in thought for a moment, and then muttered, "That's far too many dogs for them to handle," he shook his head. "I will personally go to WindClan and ask them for assistance. In the meantime, I want you to take all of our warriors to go help with the dogs."

"All of them?" Foxleap was in disbelief. "But what if some other Clan decides to attack our camp while we're fighting the dogs."

"There's nothing to attack here," Bramblestar replied. "They could take our prey or our herbs but it's the middle of greenleaf, we can easily restock our supplies."

"What about the elders and queens?" Foxleap pointed out.

"Not even ShadowClan is fox-hearted enough to attack elders and queens." When Foxleap looked like he was going to argue, Bramblestar added, "Besides, they have nothing to gain from it."

Foxleap dipped his head, "Alright then, I'll go spread the news." He turned and quickly headed to the warriors den.

Bramblestar turned to Cloudtail. "Will you watch over the nursery, just in case?"

Cloudtail nodded, "Of course I will. I may be old, but I'm not that old," he grunted, though he knew it was a lie. A ShadowClan apprentice could stroll into the camp and easily take care of Cloudtail.

He padded back to the elder's den and peered in, "There are some dogs loose in our territory. Bramblestar ordered all of our warriors to go help with the fight."

The fear in her eyes was visible, "There are dogs?" She asked nervously.

"Yes, but they're nowhere near the camp. We're perfectly safe," he reassured her. "Bramblestar told me to watch over the nursery."

"You can't fight!" Brightheart protested. "For StarClan's sake you can barely walk!"

"I won't need to fight," Cloudtail insisted. "Nothing's going to happen."

Brightheart frowned, "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Don't worry, everything will be fine," he promised.

…

Cloudtail blinked his eyes and scolded himself for nearly falling asleep while on watch. The moon was now high in the sky, not a single warrior had returned to the camp yet. In the distance Cloudtail could faintly make out the sounds of battle. He could only pray to StarClan that all of his Clanmates would return home safely. Hopefully Bramblestar had convinced Onestar to send additional warriors, though he doubted it. The WindClan leader still wasn't a very big fan of ThunderClan.

He straightened when he could hear the sound of someone running towards the camp. He frowned, the cat was sprinting towards the camp, and was making quite the racket. Was any ThunderClan cat big enough to make such a sound? Perhaps Lionblaze? But he doubted it.

A loud howl sounded out eerily from somewhere nearby. Cloudtail's fur stood on end, a dog was headed straight for the camp! He got to his paws and crouched as low as his joints would allow him to. It sounded as if it were only one dog, but he was in no condition to fight a dog. _Nonsense! You can do this, you have to! For the queens and other elders; for Brightheart!_

He wasn't fully prepared for the large beast that suddenly burst into the camp. _Great StarClan! _He'd never seen such a large dog in his entire life. The huge animal swung it's head from side to side, taking in clearing. It stopped when it laid eyes on Cloudtail. He stared back at the dog, trying to conceal his fear. The dog's tail shot up and drool started pooling out of it's massive jaws. Time seemed to stand still for an instant, as neither of them moved. Then the dog barked once loudly and rushed him.

Cloudtail yowled at the top of his lungs and lashed out at the dog. The dog took no notice though and barreled through him, knocking him over.

He landed heavily on the ground, and immediately knew there was no way that he would be getting up any time soon. The dog towered over him now, and he flinched slightly as he felt it's drool land on him. The dog bent over and bit into his scruff. It easily lifted him off the ground and shook him. He desperately kicked out at the dog, and it flung him to the side. He landed awkwardly this time, and cringed. He was fairly certain that he'd broken something.

He felt as if he was going to pass out, the world around him was fuzzy, he couldn't make out much. The dog was strolling towards him casually, behind it he could just make out Brightheart. She was watching him, an expression of her horror on her face.

"Get out of here!" He cried out hoarsely to her. Instead she just stood there, staring at him. She began to tremble. _Please, _he begged her inwardly. _It's too late for me, please just get out of here!_

The dog was on top of him now, and lifted him up once again. Cloudtail cried out in pain. The dog shook him again, more violently this time.

Cloudtail felt strangely at peace. Though he'd often thought of death as a terrible thing, it didn't seem so bad now. He closed his eyes, and accepted his fate.

_"No!" _The dog let out a yelp and dropped Cloudtail. He looked up in surprise to see Brightheart on it's back, clawing it viciously. He wanted nothing more than to get to his paws and help her, but he couldn't stand. Instead he watched her, helpless.

The dog dropped to the ground and rolled over on Brightheart. It dawned on Cloudtail then that she would die trying to save him. "Please Brightheart, get out of here!" He begged.

She ignored him once again, and lashed out at the dog's face. She scored her claws across the dog's eyes, and blood poured out of them. The dog staggered backward with a high pitched whine and then turned and fled.

Brightheart's pelt was ruffled and she hissed at it as it run away. After it had gone, she rushed over to Cloudtail's side. "Are you alright?"

Cloudtail stared at her, jaw gaping. He was at a loss for words. She'd really just risked her own life to rescue him? "You-You saved me?"

"Of course I did you old furball," she purred. "I wasn't going to let you leave me alone with the rest of the elders, they'd drive me crazy!"

Cloudtail chuckled, "Apparently they already have if you're crazy enough to take on a dog."

Brightheart's eyes twinkled, "You know, I was thinking about what you said to me earlier. About how love is about acceptance." She paused, "It's also about sacrifice. I would give my life for you in a heartbeat, just as I'm sure you would for me."

Cloudtail's heart swelled, and he sighed happily. He was so blessed to have her. Brightheart truly was an unbelievable cat; scars and all. She was imperfectly perfect.

"I love you, Cloudtail."

"I love you too."

**I was going to kill both of them, but I didn't! :P I guess I owe you guys a happy ending every now and then _**


	27. Jayfeather and Dawnpelt

**In response to your reviews:**

**A16: Thank you for the compliments! :) And I agree, some of these couples are very, very odd!**

**WyldClaw: It was very brave, she faced her fears and rescued him in the process!**

**Bravetail: Thank you very much, and I will add your suggestions to my list! ;) **

**Here's another odd couple, not too sure why I chose to write this one, but an idea just popped in my head for it so I went with it! I hope you enjoy!**

**Jayfeather and Dawnpelt **

"Jayfeather is not the cat you all think he is," Dawnpelt announced. Confused murmurings broke out among the other cats gathered around her. Overhead the full moon hung in the sky. Blackstar glared down on her angrily from the oak tree. She was quite certain she would pay for her accusation later, but it didn't matter to her.

"Dawnpelt, what is the meaning of this?" Blackstar demanded. She gulped nervously and flexed her claws. _You have to go through with it! He's counting on you!_

She acted as if she hadn't heard her leader. "As I'm sure most of you know, my brother Flametail died recently. But what you don't know is that Jayfeather was there when he died," she paused to let it sink in. "Flametail fell through the ice, but when he tried to get out of the ice Jayfeather would not allow him to." She glared at the ThunderClan medicine cat and spat angrily, "Jayfeather is a murderer! He killed my brother!"

Pandemonium ensued. Never before had a medicine cat been accused of such a vile crime as murder, it was a little much for some to take in. Most of the cats were on their paws, arguing with one another. She couldn't make out what any cat was saying, it was just a wall of sound. She'd never seen the cats at a gathering in such disarray. The leaders stared down on their Clans in disbelief, none of them tried to stop them.

Dawnpelt stared through the crowd, searching for Jayfeather. She spotted him surrounded by a small group of ThunderClan cats that had circled around him in an effort to keep him safe. He looked genuinely shocked, Dawnpelt was impressed. She knew for a fact that he wasn't surprised by her accusation, and yet he played the part well.

A few ShadowClan warriors approached the ThunderClan warriors, hissing at them. However, before a fight could actually break out Firestar's voice boomed loudly, "Stop!"

Dawnpelt was surprised to see nearly all the cats stop what they were doing and look up at the ThunderClan leader. Firestar's pelt was bristling and he glared back the cats. She couldn't help but admire the sheer power he held over the Clan cats, though his constant bossiness was very annoying.

"You should all be ashamed of yourselves," He scolded angrily. "Just because one cat makes an accusation that is clearly absurd doesn't give you all the right to blatantly ignore the peace treaty that StarClan has assigned to the Gathering. For StarClan's sake, you all behave as if you're nothing more than a bunch of rouges!"

"At least rouges aren't fox-hearted enough to murder an innocent medicine cat," Blackstar's hiss cut through the silence.

"Do you have bees in your brain?" Firestar demanded. "Jayfeather already explained that he tried to save Flametail but he couldn't. Besides, what would Jayfeather have to gain from killing Flametail?"

"He weakened ShadowClan," Blackstar shot back.

Firestar rolled his eyes, "When was the last time that ThunderClan invaded ShadowClan territory and attacked any of your Clan?"

"Not too long ago," Blackstar replied. "When Jayfeather killed our medicine cat."

Firestar looked furious, and Dawnpelt wouldn't have been surprised if he'd flung himself at Blackstar. Instead he spat back angrily, "I've heard enough of this foolish talk! ThunderClan is leaving."

He dropped down from the oak tree and shouldered his way through the cats below him. The rest of the ThunderClan warriors began filing in behind him. Dawnpelt glared at Jayfeather as he got up to leave. The ThunderClan medicine seemed to freeze for a moment, and then stared directly at Dawnpelt with a blank expression on his face. Dawnpelt resisted the urge to shiver, and didn't look away from him. She continued to watch him until he disappeared from sight.

…

Jayfeather waited at the ShadowClan border patiently. He tasted the air once again to ease his worries, he couldn't scent any other cat. Of course, he would hear them coming long before he could scent them. His eyes pricked up when he heard a cat approaching, but calmed down when he realized the cat was coming from ShadowClan territory.

"You're late," Jayfeather called out softly, just in case there were any other cats out on a midnight hunt.

"Sorry," Dawnpelt replied. She brushed against him lightly, "Rowanclaw was on watch and I had to sneak by him."

He breathed in her sweet, familiar scent. "That's fine," he replied. "I'm just a bit nervous, that's all."

"Why's that?" She asked.

"I'm afraid we're going to caught!"

"Jayfeather, we've been over this a hundred times," she reminded him. "Even if some cat were to stumble across us together, there's no way they'd think there was anything romantic between us. That's why I accused you of killing my brother, remember? We planned this all out!"

"Yes," Jayfeather nodded slightly. Something still didn't quite feel right though.

"Come on, I'll show you the place that I set up earlier," Dawnpelt started towards ShadowClan territory.

Jayfeather sighed, and followed after her reluctantly. A voice within him scolded himself for what he was doing. _You're a medicine cat, and she's from another Clan! Didn't you learn anything from __Leafpool's mistake? This is going to hurt more than just you and Dawnpelt. _Guilt weighed down on him heavily.

He cared about Dawnpelt deeply though, wasn't that more important? Rules were meant to be broken! _No, you're given rules for a reason._

_If Leafpool hadn't broken a rule, then I wouldn't be here. Surprisingly_, the voice was silent. Jayfeather's confidence was boosted slightly, and he relaxed a little.

He'd been seeing Dawnpelt secretly for the past moon. As guilty as he felt for it, he'd never been happier in his life. They'd spent a lot of time together, and when he was with her he felt like he could actually be himself. She didn't treat him like a crippled kit like so many of his Clanmates did just because he was blind. To her, he was completely ordinary. She liked him for him, and he felt the same about her. Love was a strange feeling, and it felt even stranger to be loved. _Not strange, _he corrected himself. _It's just... foreign. _That made more sense, he just wasn't used to love.

The only other time he had loved was Half Moon. But that was painful, and he'd rather not reflect on her. The past can not be altered, no matter how hard he tried. That's why it was important to always be looking ahead, not behind. He'd sort of adopted the thought process as a personal motto. Onward.

"Here we are," Dawnpelt stopped ahead of him abruptly. He heard her climb into a nest, and hesitantly stepped into it next to her.

She immediately curled up against him, and the guilt washed over him again. He tensed up and gritted his teeth.

"What's the matter?" She asked him, concerned.

Hearing her voice soothed him, and he forced himself to relax. He welcomed her embrace. "Nothing. Everything's perfect."

"Good." Neither of them said anything for a moment, and it was oddly nice. Just being around her was enough of a rush for him.

"Jayfeather, do you trust me?" Dawnpelt asked him out of the blue. He was a little surprised by it, didn't she know that he trusted her? He certainly wouldn't be here if he didn't!

"Of course I do," he replied.

"I'm glad to hear that," she purred. "Now will you please tell me more about these powers you've told me about?"

Jayfeather had mentioned that he had powers to her before, but he hadn't told her much. Whenever she asked him to tell her more, he'd just shrug it off and change the subject. Three times before she'd try to get him to explain to her. _If you really do trust her, then you need to tell her._

Jayfeather frowned, "You promise that you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you?"

"I swear to StarClan I won't breathe a word," she replied. "I'm just curious, that's all."

Something within Jayfeather protested, he couldn't tell her! _No, I have to. _"Well, it all started back a long time ago, I wasn't exactly sure how I did it, but I entered one of Firestar's dreams..."

He continued to explain to her about his powers, and also about Lionblaze and Dovewing's powers as well. She frequently interrupted him to ask him to elaborate about specific details. When he finally finished explaining everything he was quite certain that a few hours had passed at the least.

"Wow," she breathed. "That's unbelievable! Do you know who the fourth cat is yet?"

"No," Jayfeather shook his head. "But you can't tell anyone what I just told you, alright?"

"You don't need to worry about that," a gravelly voice spoke from behind, causing Jayfeather to jump. _Someone found us! _Jayfeather's heart sunk, his life was about to be ruined. _Wait a second, that voice doesn't belong to any ShadowClan warriors today..._

"Tigerstar!" Jayfeather exclaimed. Tigerstar didn't reply, but chuckled instead. How was this possible? Tigerstar was dead! Jayfeather knew that the Dark Forest was training and growing stronger, but he hadn't really expected them to physically appear! And yet here was Tigerstar standing in front of him, proof that such a thing was possible.

Jayfeather positioned himself between Tigerstar and Dawnpelt. "Get out of here!" He told her frantically.

Dawnpelt didn't budge, instead she said to him, "There's no need for that."

"What are do you mean? He'll kill you!" Jayfeather snapped.

"You're as mouse-brained as you look, Jayfeather." Tigerstar chuckled again.

"What's going on? What does he mean?" Jayfeather faced Dawnpelt, bewildered.

"I train under Tigerstar in the Dark Forest, he ordered me to learn more about your powers," Dawnpelt told him, a hint of regret in her tone.

"You did very well," Tigerstar praised her. "Now, kill him!"

"W-What?" Dawnpelt stuttered. "You told me he would live!"

"We cannot allow him to live, he knows too much!" Tigerstar spat. "What do you care? You don't have any feelings for him anyways."

Dawnpelt hesitated.

"Do it now or I'll kill both of you!"

"Dawnpelt," Jayfeather started, but he was cut off as he felt her crash into him. It was all a lie? She really was going to kill him! He didn't resist against her, he didn't have the heart to. She easily pinned him down.

Jayfeather lay there helpless and defeated. He felt numb inside, how could she do this to him? How could he allow her to do this to him? Being torn away from Half Moon had hurt, but this... This was on an entirely different level. No amount of physical pain could possibly compare to this.

He stared up at where he assumed her eyes were, with the same blank expression that he'd had the last night at the gathering. "Do it," he whispered.

Dawnpelt let out an unnerving screech, and Jayfeather felt a brief flash of pain, and then nothing.

…

"Well done," Tigerstar purred. "You've proven your worth as a Dark Forest warrior."

"Thank you," she choked on the words, but somehow managed to get them out.

"Dawnpelt!" Rowanclaw called out from nearby. Tigerstar vanished immediately, leaving her alone with Jayfeather's body.

Rowanclaw burst into the clearing and took in the scene with wide eyes, "What happened here?"

All was still going according to the plan she had made with Tigerstar. "I was out making dirt, and Jayfeather suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He told me that he was going to kill me for revealing his secret. I tried to run from him, but he caught me here. He jumped on me but I managed to overpower him, I didn't want to, but I had to kill him."

Rowanclaw nodded sympathetically, "Of course." His eyes darkened. "ThunderClan must pay for this. I'll speak with Blackstar about leading a patrol to confront them about this tomorrow."

"Thank you," Dawnpelt dipped her head. _Perfect. _ThunderClan would discover that Jayfeather was dead and be outraged, knowing that he was innocent. ShadowClan would now be convinced that Jayfeather was indeed a murderer, and likely would think that he'd been sent over by Firestar. A battle was sure to follow. Dawnpelt had already warned the Dark Forest recruits for both ShadowClan and ThunderClan, so they would be certain to slip away from the battle once it started.

The battle was sure to weaken both ThunderClan and ShadowClan, and that's when the Dark Forest would attack. They would easily defeat both Clans, and then move on to WindClan and RiverClan as well. A victory was practically guaranteed.

"Not too much longer," she murmured. "And then everything will be exactly the way it's supposed to be. No more fighting, no more division. Just peace." _And the recognition I deserve! _

**Loved/hated it? Leave me a review! Suggestions for pairing are welcome as always! **


	28. Bumblestripe and Dovewing

**No reviews to reply to :( Oh well, here's my next chapter!**

**Bumblestripe and Dovewing**

"I can't believe he's dead," Dovewing murmured sadly. "I couldn't save him."

Bumblestripe stood next to her, and watched as Dustpelt and Graystripe carried Firestar's body out of the camp. The former leader looked so small in death, Bumblestripe almost didn't recognize him. "It's not your fault," he replied. The words felt so foolish coming out of his mouth. He wished there was something he could say to change her mind, but she was convinced it was all her fault.

"Oh Bumblestripe, what's the point of having powers if I can't use them to save the cats I care about?" He'd never seen her so distraught before, and it hurt him.

"Dovewing..." He struggled for words. He was exhausted from keeping vigil the entire night after a draining battle with the Dark Forest cats. _You have to say something! _Dovewing was looking at him expectantly. He sighed heavily. "Firestar died saving his Clan, he wouldn't have wanted it any other way. You may be more powerful than StarClan themselves, but even StarClan in it's entirety couldn't save him."

Dovewing still looked unsure. He felt like a mouse-brain, there was so much he wished he could tell her, he just couldn't find the words to express it! "I'm going to go get some sleep now." Dovewing told him, and slipped away.

He watched her leave and lashed his tail out in frustration. Why did she always do this to him? He'd try to help her out in some way and she'd just brush him aside. He was starting to get tired of it. "I'm just wasting my time," he muttered bitterly.

"Everything alright with you?" Briarlight asked him. She'd approached him when he'd been lost in thought, and he hadn't heard her until then. She looked concerned for him, and it made him feel a little better that some cat cared about him!

"I'm not really sure," he admitted. "Dovewing is just confusing me."

Briarlight nodded, "Well, she is a she-cat. What's confusing you about her?"

Bumblestripe pawed at the ground, embarrassed, he didn't really want to open up to his sister about his personal issues. A part of him longed to just tell her everything, just to get it all out. He was tired of keeping everything caged in, if he didn't tell someone he'd mad! So he gave in, "She keeps pushing me away whenever I try to reach out to her. I can see that she's hurting, and that she needs someone to comfort her, and I try to be the cat but she just won't let me!" He blurted, "I don't get it! What's wrong with me?"

Hearing himself say it out loud it dawned on him that Dovewing was hurting him more than he thought. Why? He was only looking out for her! Briarlight frowned, and thought for a second before replying, "I'm sure she's not trying to upset you. She doubts herself, she's battling herself, there's not much you _can _do to help her. She needs to work things out for herself."

"I'm only trying to help," Bumblestripe protested. "The least she could do is acknowledge that, a simple 'thanks' would suffice, but she couldn't be bothered to thank me!" The familiar feelings of anger crashed over him again, and he welcomed them. He had every right to be mad! How dare she treat him this way!

Briarlight said nothing, and broke her gaze with him. "I'm sorry..." she murmured.

_This is wrong, Briarlight doesn't deserve this. She's only trying to help you. _"Thanks," he muttered, feeling awkward about his outburst. He continued, but in a softer tone, "It's just hard for me to understand how she can push me away, when I keep pouring myself out for her. I've given her my everything, and she returns nothing. I keep telling myself that it doesn't matter, that I care about her enough to do what's best for her, no matter how she treats me, but I'm just not sure I can do it anymore." He felt awful for admitting it, but it was also relieving.

"Then don't do it anymore," Bumblestripe was surprised by her response. She saw his confusion and shrugged, "If she's really treating you badly then why let her continue to hurt you?"

At first he dismissed the suggestion completely. Stop caring for Dovewing? It was an absurd idea, she needed him! Or did she? "I couldn't do that..." He trailed off.

Briarlight was right he realized, shocked. He shook his head in disbelief. "Honestly, I don't think I can just put her behind me."

"You have to," Briarlight urged. "I know you think you're helping her, but you're really not. She won't let you. All you're doing is wasting your breath, and hurting yourself in the process. I'm only trying to look out for you."

"Thank you, sister," he purred. "I appreciate it, but it's not as simple as it seems. I'll need some time to think about this."

"I'm here if you ever need to talk," she told him.

…

"Dovewing, we need to talk." Dovewing was sitting alone, finishing off a rabbit. She looked up at him, and seemed happy to see him.

"You're right, we do." She appeared to be in a better mood than yesterday. He hadn't seen her in such a good mood for a long time. Perhaps she had been listening to him... He sat down next to her.

"Look-" He began but she cut him off.

"Before you say anything, I'd just like to apologize for the way I've treated you recently." She broke his gaze, clearly embarrassed. "You've always supported me, and been there for me, and I've treated you terribly. I'm so sorry for that, do you think you could forgive me?"

Bumblestripe jaw dropped and he gazed at her with eyes wide. He was too shocked to say anything. She peered back at him, clearly confused by his odd look.

She glanced around, "What's the matter? Was it something I said?" She paused. "Oh, I get it, you're upset with me. That's alright, I get it, you have every right to be mad at me."

"No!" He practically shouted at her. "I'm not mad at all, I don't know why you're even apologizing to me!" The conversation he'd had earlier with Briarlight melted away. _I was out of line, _he reasoned. _See, she apologized for what she did to me! _

Bumblestripe was having trouble remembering why he was even mad at Dovewing in the first place. Seeing her, looking at him affectionately with her brilliant blue eyes spiked his pulse. She was an intoxicating sight, and he wanted nothing more than to get lost in those blue eyes.

"You know," she continued, sounding nervous. "I was sort of hoping that we could be more than just friends." She stared into his eyes, looking hopeful.

He opened his eyes to reply, but froze when he met the glance of Briarlight from across the clearing. She was sitting near the entrance of the medicine cat's den, looking over at him. She had a disappointed look on her face, she shook her head at him. _Don't do this, _she was telling him, _you're about to make a huge mistake._

Startled, he tore his gaze away from her and returned his eyes to Dovewing. She was still staring at him, her eyes beckoning. _Tell her yes! Say yes! _A voice in his head screamed. _You've dreamt of this day for so long, she wants you! _He'd never desired something so strongly in his life, and yet he knew that it was wrong. _You can't do this._

"I'm sorry," the words sounded foreign coming out of his mouth. Everything within him resisted the notion that he was about to turn her down, did he have bees in his brain? He so desperately wished that this was nothing more than a nightmare, and that he'd wake up in any moment.

"But I don't think that's a good idea." Reality seemed to blur, everything seemed surreal, surely this couldn't actually be happening! Bumblestripe had a headache, this was all too overwhelming for him.

"W-What?" Dovewing whispered. He could hear the pain in her voice, and it tore him apart. He'd always dedicated himself to protecting her, trying to comfort her when she was upset, but now he was hurting her.

"Dovewing... I'm sorry, it's just-"

"No!" Dovewing snapped at him. She was standing on her paws now glaring down on him. "I can't believe you would do this to me! You, of all cats! I thought I could trust you!"

Her words pierced him like thorns. "I never tried to hurt you, please Dovewing," he begged.

"No!" She was livid. "I've known that you've liked me for a while now, and when I show some interest back you turn me down?"

"I know," Bumblestripe tried to calm her, but failed miserably.

"You're a jerk!" She spat. "I don't ever want to talk to you again!" She stormed off, leaving Bumblestripe to watch her disappear from his life, probably forever.

He sat there dumbly for a minute, unsure of what to do. He could hear Briarlight dragging herself over to him, but he ignored her, caught up in his own thoughts. _What have I done?_

"You made the right decision," Briarlight told him.

He turned on her, furious. "Oh really? Hurting her, and destroying our friendship was the right decision?"

Briarlight held her ground. "Yes," she replied calmly. "The 'friendship' you're talking about wasn't a friendship at all. She mistreated you, and you continued to give your everything for her. Then she had the nerve to assume that she could just have you as her mate!"

"I would've been okay with that!" Bumblestripe snapped.

"You'll thank me for this one day," she promised him. "Trust me, that would've been a terrible mistake."

He narrowed his eyes. "I don't think you really believe that, you're just jealous!" The words sounded foolish, but he followed them up anyways, "That's right, I've seen the way you look at Jayfeather, you love him but you know it'll never happen. So to make yourself feel better you spoiled my relationship with Dovewing!"

Briarlight had the same pained expression he'd seen in Dovewing's eyes earlier, and Bumblestripe immediately regretted what he'd said to her. "Well I'm sorry for trying to help you out," she sounded choked up.

_Well done. _"I'm sorry," he began.

"Whatever."

…

Bumblestripe gazed up at the night sky, it was filled with stars. The thought of his warrior ancestors watching over him was comforting, but it didn't ease his mood at all. He sat alone on the lakeshore, back at the ThunderClan camp most of the other warriors were asleep. He'd closed his eyes and tried to force himself to fall asleep, but after what felt like an eternity he knew that he had to get away to somewhere, anywhere.

Dovewing still hadn't spoken with him and neither had Briarlight. _Why do I have to ruin everything? _The stars offered him no reply. He felt so tired, and so alone.

Memories of Dovewing kept flooding his head, and no matter how hard he tried to force them out of his head he simply couldn't. He still wasn't sure whether or not he agreed with Briarlight about Dovewing mistreating him, but he did believe that she meant the best for him. He'd thanked her for her advice by striking out at her, he'd reacted much worse than Dovewing had done to him. Though he knew he'd offended Briarlight deeply, he knew she'd eventually come around and forgive him. Dovewing probably wouldn't...

It struck Bumblestripe then that he'd never comfort Dovewing ever again. He'd never stand by her side and tell her that everything would be alright, he'd never hunt with her again, casually chat with her, fight with her at his side. The list went on and on and the more he thought about it the more depressed he began to feel. It also dawned on him that his rejection of her would likely drive her to another tom that she'd fall for. She'd find another mate and then one day have kits with him... The thought of it made Bumblestripe feel sick.

Briarlight's words came back to him: _Trust me, that would've been a terrible mistake. _Bumblestripe trusted his sister, but he wasn't sure he believed those words. Would taking Dovewing as his mate really have been a mistake? He'd never know. He'd spend the rest of his life never knowing, the question would go unanswered. He'd either avoided a terrible mistake, or made one. Regardless, he knew one thing for certain, his decision was a painful one. Perhaps he had no choice, sometimes pain is inevitable. Sometimes there was no right or wrong decision, and Bumblestripe hated that fact.

**I didn't really plan this one out, I kinda just went with it. Let me know what you thought of it!**


	29. Firestar and Silverstream

**In response to your reviews:**

**WyldClaw: I do too! It was kinda difficult writing that!**

**Scarpath: I love Bumblestripe too, and thanks! For this chapter I used your suggestion!**

**(Various guest names): I'm not sure if this was more than one person, but thank you very much for the kind words! :)**

**Ravenheart: I'm glad you enjoyed it!**

**Quillfang: Added your suggestions, and thanks! **

**I hope you all enjoy this one! It's another strange couple, but I guess we'll see if it works out! ;)**

**Firestar and Silverstream**

The fire began to die down, and the smoke was clearing. Graystripe climbed over the fallen tree, and began searching frantically for Firestar. _He has to be alive! We've made it through so much together, it can't end this way! _

"Graystripe..." A faint voice whispered. It belonged to Firestar! He sounded weak, as if he were about to die. _He can't! This is his last life!_

Graystripe could now see his leader, trapped under a tree branch. He grabbed the branch in his jaws and wrenched it off Firestar. "Someone get Jayfeather, Firestar's hurt!" He called out.

"There's no use," Firestar murmured. "My time has come." He winced in pain. Graystripe could tell it was taking a lot of effort for him to keep breathing. The wounds he'd suffered at Tigerstar's paws were too much for him to take, he was going to die.

The realization shocked Graystripe, he didn't know what to say. "Firestar..."

"It's alright, old friend," Firestar tried to comfort him. "StarClan is beckoning me, but before I go, I must tell you something. I owe it to you," he sighed sadly. "I'm sorry for what I'm about to reveal to you, just know that I never meant to hurt you."

Graystripe frowned, "Don't talk like that Firestar! You've always been my closest friend! Sure, we haven't gotten along _all _the time but you could never hurt me."

Firestar shook his head, "It all started a very long time ago, back when we were warriors in the old forest..."

…

"Here, she's delivered her first kit," Cinderpaw had a tiny gray tom grasped in her mouth. She set him down next to Tigerclaw, "Lick," she ordered.

Tigerclaw looked as if he was going to protest, but Cinderpelt gave him a glare that put Yellowfang's to shame. He flicked his tail in annoyance and began licking the small kit.

Fireheart barely contained a chuckle at the sight. It wasn't often that Tigerclaw was willing to be ordered around, especially by an apprentice. _You tell him Cinderpaw!_

Silverstream laid on the river shore next to Cinderpaw, she let out a loud moan and Fireheart could see the spasms shake her. Graystripe stood over her, his eyes as wide as the moon. "Is she alright? Why's she in so much pain? This isn't how this is supposed to happen!"

"Everything will be fine if you just let me work!" Cinderpaw snapped at him, Fireheart could detect a note of panic in her tone. Silverstream had lost a lot of blood, and it didn't look like the bleeding was going to stop.

"Another kit, this one's a she-cat," Cinderpaw dropped the bundle of fur at Fireheart's paws and he immediately began licking it. She mewled in protest, Fireheart could tell she wanted her mother.

"Hang in there Silverstream, everything's going to be just fine," Cinderpaw soothed. "That was the last of them, you're doing great."

Silverstream didn't reply, but let out a loud wail and recoiled. She was still bleeding, the stench was overpowering. Fireheart was feeling sick, but he continued to lick the kit. Next to him, Graystripe looked distraught.

Fireheart was alarmed when Silverstream's breathing grew shallower, and she was heaving with each breath. Cinderpaw was visibly worried, "Hang in there!"

"Silverstream?" Graystripe was by her side, powerless to help her.

"StarClan is calling me," Silverstream whispered, "Take care of them, my love." Silverstream laid her head back, and was still. Fireheart didn't have to see the glassy look in her eyes to know that she was dead.

Graystripe stared at her for a moment in silence, and then crumpled. He buried his face in her flank and started sobbing. The two kits began mewling loudly for their mother.

"There's a reason we have the warrior code," Tigerclaw growled. "To prevent something like this from happening."

Fireheart glared at him, "Quit acting so cruel! His mate just died for StarClan's sake!"

Tigerclaw muttered something inaudibly, but Fireheart could care less. He knew that Graystripe would face repercussions later for sneaking out to see Silverstream, and he himself might be punished for helping Graystripe hide that fact, but none of that mattered now. Silverstream had just passed away, and she had left Graystripe two kits that needed to be cared for.

"I'm so sorry Graystripe," Cinderpaw was saying. "I tried my best to save her, but I couldn't..." She looked down at her paws, shamefully, "I don't deserve to be a medicine cat apprentice."

Graystripe didn't reply to her, and appeared as if he hadn't even heard what she'd said to him. He was still pressed up against Silverstream, blind to the rest of the world.

"Don't talk like that!" Fireheart protested. "ThunderClan is lucky to have you! You did your best to save Silverstream, and you almost did! No medicine cat could've saved her though, that's how life works sometimes."

"Yellowfang would've saved her," Cinderpaw muttered.

Tigerclaw interjected, "Alright, enough chit chat. We need to get back to camp and report this to Bluestar," He glared angrily at Fireheart. "I'm sure she'll see that you and Graystripe are properly punished for this violation."

"I need to bury her first," Graystripe spoke for the first time in a while. His voice sounded distant, and he looked more devastated than Fireheart had ever seen him before.

"Are you alright?" Fireheart asked him.

Graystripe looked at him directly and said nothing. The pain clearly visible in his eyes told everything.

_I'm not okay, and I never will be again._

…

It had been three sunrises since Silverstream had died, Fireheart hadn't spoken with Graystripe since. The only time he talked at all was in the nursery when he went to visit his kits, which was quite often, much to the annoyance of the queens. Bluestar had announced that he'd been punished enough by the death of his mate, and that no further punishment was necessary. Tigerclaw was furious.

Fireheart was just glad to be done hiding the secret, the entire time he'd felt horrible covering for Graystripe, he felt as if he was betraying his Clan. Now things were could return to normal, after Graystripe was finished mourning the death of Silverstream. Fireheart wasn't too sure how long it would take Graystripe, his friend seemed quite shaken by her loss. _I wish there was some way that I could help him through this!_

"Fireheart, may I speak with you?" Cinderpaw's meow interrupted his thoughts.

He looked up from the magpie he'd been eating, "Of course you can, does it have to do with Silverstream?"

Cinderpaw nodded gravely, and looked around. "But it's not something that other ears should be hearing, we should speak in my den."

Fireheart rose to his paws suspiciously, and followed her into the medicine cat den. What was this about? Did she want to complain about her awful medicine cat skills like she had before? She really needed to move on from that!

"Were you and Silverstream ever mates?" Cinderpaw demanded. Fireheart gaped at her, wide eyed at her accusation.

"W-What makes you think that?" He stammered.

Cinderpaw shrugged, "Just a hunch. It's true isn't it?"

Fireheart shuffled, uncomfortably. "Well, you have to swear by StarClan that you won't tell any other cat about this!" She nodded her head and he continued, "One day I snuck into RiverClan territory and found Silverstream. My intent was to talk some sense into her involving Graystripe, I thought they were both making a terrible mistake. Somehow our conversation changed subjects, and we ended up talking until the sun had set and the moon and stars were up. I told her that I needed to get back to my camp, but she told me that it'd make more sense for me to spend the night with her, and then return to ThunderClan in the morning." He paused, and shook his head.

Cinderpaw looked at him expectantly, and he continued, "I made a mouse-brained decision and listened to her, but that was the only time I was ever with her. After that she decided to stay committed to Graystripe, and I agreed with that. We put it behind us, I didn't have feelings for her and she didn't have feelings for me. In fact, we hardly ever spoke after that." Cinderpaw had a disappointed look on her face, "Please don't tell Graystripe, it would ruin him!" He begged, "We both admitted it was a mistake and moved on."

"I'm afraid that it's not that simple." Her expression was grim. "Fireheart, the kits that she had were _yours, _not Graystripe's."

"What? That's ridiculous!" Fireheart snorted. "Have you seen them? They look exactly like their father, who is Graystripe, not me."

Cinderpaw shook her head. "I wish that were true, Fireheart. The kits look like their mother, Silverstream. Graystripe is not their father."

Fireheart rolled his eyes, "What makes you say that?"

Cinderpaw sighed, "There was another kit I didn't tell you about."

"What?" Fireheart demanded. "Why not?"

"It died before I delivered it," Cinderpaw replied, her eyes brimming with sadness. "I didn't want to upset Silverstream by telling her that it had died, that might've caused her to go into shock and then the other kits would've died as well."

Fireheart nodded, "You made the right decision, but why does another kit mean that I'm the father?"

Cinderpaw looked uneasy, "Because Fireheart, _the kit had a ginger pelt_."

Fireheart immediately thought back to when he had talked with Silverstream, and realized with a sickening feeling that the time worked perfectly for her delivering kits just a few days ago. So that meant that the kits were his! He had two sons, and a daughter! _One of your sons is dead. _The realization drilled Fireheart suddenly as if he'd just been struck by a monster. Grief and guilt washed over him for what he'd done. _You killed Silverstream and you're son! _"Oh StarClan, what have I done?" He moaned.

"It's alright Fireheart," Cinderpaw tried to calm him. "No other cat needs to know about this, we can keep it between us!"

Fireheart looked at her, bewildered. "So you're saying that I should lie to Graystripe, and allow him to believe that my kits are actually his? How can I abandon my kits like that? I'm their father, they need me!"

"Graystripe already loves them dearly, he'll be a wonderful father for them," she pointed out. "Trust me Fireheart, it's what's best for you and Graystripe both."

Fireheart considered her suggestion. If he followed through with it, he'd never be able to let any cat know, he'd have to spend the rest of his life detached from his kits. Knowing that they were his own would prove difficult for him, so he would likely have to avoid them as much as he could. On the other paw, if he were to tell the truth Graystripe would be even more depressed, and would hate Fireheart for betraying him. Bluestar might punish him further and she would lose her trust for him, making it extremely difficult for him to convince her that Tigerclaw had murdered Redtail.

He made up his mind that it was for the greater good. "I agree, Graystripe and the other must never know about this."

…

Graystripe gawked at Firestar, completely unprepared for what he'd just been told. He'd spent countless moons at Firestar's side, they'd faced it all. Graystripe thought he could trust Firestar more than any other cat, but apparently not. Firestar had deceived and betrayed him. "How could you do that to me?"

Firestar's eyes were tired, and sad. "I only did what I thought was best for you. Believe me, it wasn't easy on me at all. I was heartbroken when you and my kits left for RiverClan. You eventually returned, but they didn't, and I didn't get to watch my kits grow up. Later, Squirrelpaw, Stormfur and Feathertail left unexpectedly. I was sure that they were all going to die. Feathertail did die on the journey."

Graystripe distinctly remembered when Stormfur had delivered the news to him that Feathertail had died, it hurt nearly as bad as losing Silverstream. But she wasn't really his kit then, was she? It was all a lie.

Firestar continued, "I'm sorry for betraying your trust, old friend. StarClan has made me suffer severely for it. To this day I still haven't laid eyes on the son I lost. I am blessed that I will soon be able to join him."

Graystripe's head was spinning, his entire world had just been turned upside down. "Firestar, I don't know what to think..."

"Then don't think," Firestar told him. "The love between you and Silverstream was genuine, we only shared one meaningless night. I'm certain she still is eagerly waiting for you in StarClan. Also,I may be the blood father of Feathertail and Stormfur, but you were more of a father to them than I ever was, or could've been. I couldn't have asked for a better cat to raise them." His eyes shined proudly. "All I ask of you is that you forgive me. I know I've wronged you, but I truly did have your best intentions in mind."

Rage swelled up in Graystripe's chest, and he was fleetingly tempted to not forgive Firestar, and to instead bear a grudge against him for what he'd done. But looking down on his friend, who was surely struggling to take his last few breaths, Graystripe knew he had no choice but to forgive him. He and Firestar had formed a close bond with one another, they were as close as brothers. There was nothing that either of them could do to sever those bonds. "Of course I forgive you, you old furball." He purred teasingly.

Firestar chuckled at that. "Thank you, I knew you would find it within yourself to forgive me." The light in his eyes was dimming, and he took one final breath before it faded. His eyes now were glazed over, and he lay perfectly still. The mighty former leader of ThunderClan looked so peaceful in death.

"You were wise to forgive him," Bluestar spoke from behind Graystripe. He turned to face her and bowed his head in respect.

"He would've done the same for me," he replied.

"I would've," Firestar padded up and stood next to Bluestar. He looked much more youthful and muscled now, his fur shown as if stars were embedded in them. He acknowledged Bluestar, "Thank you so much for everything. You helped guide me, and impacted and shaped my life so greatly."

"You shouldn't be thanking me, I should be thanking you," Bluestar told him. "Along with the rest of the Clan cats. You fulfilled the prophecy is saved us all," she paused and looked beyond him. "And now that I think about it, here's someone you might want to meet."

A lithe ginger tom stepped out of the shadows, accompanied by Feathertail. It was quite obvious that he was a son of Firestar, the resemblance was uncanny. He had the same green eyes, and flame coated pelt. Graystripe blinked to make sure he wasn't seeing double. The cat was practically an exact copy of Firestar when he was a younger warrior.

"Hello, Father," Feathertail greeted Firestar warmly. "I'd like to introduce you to my brother, Silverheart."

"In honor of you, and my mother," Silverheart explained, he seemed nervous to be meeting his father for the first time.

Firestar beamed at him, "That's wonderful! I've been waiting countless moon to finally meet you."

Silverheart perked up at hearing that. Feathertail looked over at Graystripe and he broke eye contact with her, feeling awkward. She calmly walked up next to him, and nuzzled against him. "Firestar is my father, but you'll always be my father as well." Her bright blue eyes sparkled, and Graystripe felt a little better.

"I love you," he murmured.

"I love you too," she told him.

"This is very heartwarming," Bluestar interrupted. "But we must be going now, the rest of StarClan are departing." She turned, and began to follow after the starry warriors.

Firestar turned to Graystripe, "Thank you for everything, I'll eagerly look forward to being reunited with you."

Graystripe dipped his head, "As will I. Tell Silverstream I forgive her, will you?"

Firestar nodded. "Of course." He turned and filed in with the other StarClan warriors, Silverheart at his side. The two were quickly lost in a conversation. Feathertail followed not too far behind.

Graystripe watched them leave, strangely at peace. _There goes my daughter, who isn't my daughter, but we still love each other the same, regardless. _

**Well, despite not being a very big fan of this couple, I really did enjoy writing this one! Let me know if you liked it! **


End file.
